that I am still left in charge here, now that it is a Military Hospital,
and that there are plenty of army sisters out in the country; but the
P.M.O. has been very nice to me, and I am very glad to "carry on" as
long as they want me; the only thing is that I should very much have
liked to see a little of the work nearer up to the front, and as it
seems probable that this place will become, later on, a sort of
convalescent home, the work will not be so interesting.
Yesterday some officers went down to Durban, and came back much excited
by rumours that the line and the wire had been cut at Standerton, that
1700 Boer prisoners had been released, that Johannesburg was surrounded,
and a few more exciting items, but I dare say they are not true; I never
pretend to tell you about the war.
By degrees we are getting a few R.A.M.C. orderlies and non-commissioned
officers, and of course they make the work easier for us; but we are
quite proud of some of the St. John's men, who are becoming excellent
and most efficient nurses, and they really knew nothing of nursing six
months ago.
I had a great triumph when the big batch of men (108) arrived, as
everything had been issued for them the day before and signed for by the
orderlies, and half-an-hour after they arrived every man was either
comfortably in bed or had had a preliminary wash and was ready to sit
down to a good meal, and after that he went up to the store to hand in
his kit; some of the patients and some of the R.A.M.C. men told me that
in many of the Military Hospitals it would have taken four or five hours
to get so many of them settled and fed.
There are several very bad cases amongst them, but also a good many
convalescents. We have two officers desperately ill, one a Major in the
R.A.M.C., who, I fear, is not likely to get better, though they are
trying everything possible for him, and the other is a Lieutenant in the
Rifle Brigade who has been delirious for a long time (enteric) and very
ill, but I fancy he will pull round. I have been able to give him
special nurses when necessary. Also we have a bad case of enteric in the
men's ward; I don't think I have ever seen a case where there has been
so much hæmorrhage, and yet I think he will pull round, though he is
nearly a skeleton, and even I can easily lift him up while his sheet is
changed. I have been much pleased at the really tender way the orderlies
have nursed this boy, as he has needed a great deal of patience.
We are getting quite keen on our gardens now that we have a little more
time to breathe, but whenever I plant anything I wonder whether, by any
chance, I shall be here to see it grow up. I now have some healthy
violets and some ivy-leaf geraniums. Some time ago I had two beautiful
Orpington hens and a cock given to me. They lay splendidly, and the eggs
have been very useful, but they showed no sign of wishing to sit, so I
got a friend to put some of my eggs under a broody hen, and hope soon to
have some young Orpingtons.
The men have not had time to make me a henhouse yet, so we have to keep
a sharp look-out to secure the eggs, and our small Dick is very
attentive to them.
I went into Durban the other day to do some shopping for the mess, and
saw some friends, and then I went down to the jetty to see some of our
orderlies and patients (a nice lot of men of the Coldstreams and other
regiments, many of them wounded from Pretoria), who were going home on
the _Montrose_. I met a sister whom I knew, and one of our medical
officers was seeing the men on board, and one of the embarkation people
invited us to go out in the tender to the _Montrose_ at the outer
anchorage; so we had a nice little sea breeze, and the officers on board
gave us tea, and offered to show us our cabins, so we had a good chance
to stow away for home!
Six of our orderlies were going home on duty, and they all came to say
good-bye, and we had quite a "send off" from them and the old patients
when we left the ship.
To-day some people have been giving a picnic at a pretty place called
Krantz Kloof. They invited all we could spare to join them, so I let six
sisters go, and four of the medical officers and four convalescent
officers also went off with them in an ox waggon at 8 A.M., and they did
not get back till 9 P.M. I have been busy all day keeping an eye on the
place generally to see that nothing was neglected while so many were
away.
The night sister and night special both went, so I have now sent them to
bed for a few hours, and I have been writing beside Lieutenant ---- (of
the Rifle Brigade), but I am sure he is better to-day, and to-night he
is inclined to sleep; every now and then I let the orderly sit by him
while I take a prowl round to see the other wards are all right; now it
is 2 A.M., so I shall call the two sisters and turn in, and I need not
hurry up in the morning unless there are any fresh orders to attend to.
XXXVII
PINETOWN, NATAL,
_October 1900_.
We have had a good deal of rain lately and the country is looking lovely
again: you can almost see the things growing in the garden.
Sometimes it rains for three days without stopping, and South Africa
without the sun always looks very gloomy, but when the sun comes out
again it makes up for the gloominess.
It has begun to get very hot rather earlier than usual, and the
thermometer showed 94° in the shade the other day.
Last month we took in fifty more men who had been prisoners with the
Boers; a good many of them were gentlemen troopers of the Yeomanry; they
were sent here _via_ Delagoa Bay; one of them brought a parrot, and
there were several small birds as well.
Then the other day we took in eighty men from Charlestown, nearly all
convalescents, and such a mixed lot of regiments--Scotch, Irish,
Australians, New Zealanders, and Tasmanians, and one little Australian
bugler, aged fifteen, whom all the men spoil.
The poor Major of the R.A.M.C., who I told you was so ill, died in the
early part of this month; it was very sad, as he knew so well what all
the bad symptoms meant as they appeared.
I think I told you also of Lieutenant ----, who was desperately ill for
so long. We had a very anxious time with him, as the delirium went on
for so long that we began to fear it would become permanent, but at last
he pulled round, and has been such a nice patient. We have very few
officers in now.
The Natal Volunteers were expected to return to Durban on October 2nd
(they have been a year at the front), but the Boers attacked a convoy
near Dundee, and they were all ordered back.
Durban was preparing a great welcome for them, and the meat for the big
lunch that the Mayor was going to give them was actually cooked! They
got home about a week later, and we all went down to the station to see
them pass, many of our old patients amongst them.
I had the bad luck to have a nasty fall out riding early in the month,
and am only beginning to crawl about again, with a good deal of pain
from a damaged kidney. One of the medical officers was ill, and had
asked me to exercise his pony any time I liked to use it (he didn't like
the Kaffir boy taking it out), so, when the Major and another man asked
me to go with them to pay a few calls on people who have been very kind
to us here, I thought it would be a good chance to exercise the pony.
From here down to the station is a good bit of soft sand, and all the
ponies were fresh, so we let them scatter along; then I saw there was a
train shunting at the level crossing, so I wanted to pull up before we
got mixed up on the line (of course no gates here), and just then one of
the men lost his hat; my pony got cross at being checked, and bucked a
bit, and then suddenly swung round and jumped a fallen tree, and off I
went on the wrong side, falling across a branch of the tree. I can't
think why I fell, except that I was so sure I could not come off, I
never thought about sticking on, and was preparing to give him a
licking for being so stupid.
I did not feel much damaged at the time, though I thought I should have
a big bruise just above my hip, and when they had caught my pony I
remounted and we went on again; luckily most of the people were out, but
at one place I had to get off, and when it came to remounting I simply
could not spring, and had to condescend to mount from a chair, and when
I got home I felt really bad and had to go to bed.
Fortunately there were plenty of sisters to do the work, and things went
on all right while I was laid up, and now I can get about enough to do
the housekeeping, and hope soon to get round the wards again, but they
are very quiet at present.
We have rather amusing "tiffs" between the officers' and sisters' mess;
just now potatoes are very scarce, as the military people have bought
them all up; I found the cook was using mine for the officers, as they
had run out, so I told them I had had to pay 32s. 6d. for a bag, but I
should charge them more by the pound! they thought I had paid too much,
and asked the C.O., who was going into Durban to bring them out a bag.
When he came back, he had to confess that he had had to give 35s. for a
bag, and it never turned up at the station, and he had no receipt, and
did not know the name of the shop!
We are constantly having to make little exchanges of food, &c., but it
is necessary to keep a very sharp eye on our supplies.
Our nice little imp, Dick--otherwise Imdenbe, son of Cholem, Chief of
Imsugelum, Umtenta--got home-sick, and wanted to go home to his mother,
so now we have another boy for the mess-room. I dare say Dick will come
slinking back when he has spent his money.
John, the big house-boy, is still here, and is an excellent servant.
When we first came, Mr. ---- let him take care of his horse (of course
paying him extra), but then, when other medical officers also got
horses, the Major said that one boy must look after them all--as there
were difficulties about fodder, &c.--but when Mr. ---- told John, he
said, "No, sir, me never give up Tommy; Tommy he clean, he fat, he
happy, and John love him; John cry very much if boss give Tommy one new
boy." But poor John had to give him up; and I believe he _did_ cry. In
my room I have the luxury of a big wardrobe with glass doors, and John
takes great pride in this piece of furniture; I believe he loves to see
himself in the mirror. One day I found he had turned my dresses out to
dust inside--I expected him to proceed to tidy the drawers next, but I
drew the line there! He keeps our rooms beautifully clean, and is
absolutely honest. The other day he knocked at one of the sister's doors
when she was having a bath, and when she told him he could not come in,
he said "It's only me, old John," and was quite hurt that she would not
unlock the door.
I think I told you about his going home after payday and stopping too
long: the same thing happened again the other day, and when he came
slinking round with his broom and pail again (looking as though he
expected me to hit him), I said, "Oh, John, I just going to toctmaster
for another boy," and he said, "No, missus, me never leave the sisters,
but my wife very sick, and it rain very much, and--Kaffir beer very good
at my kraal," so I had to forgive him, as he was honest about it!
We have had a good many changes amongst the sisters lately, but at
present they seem a happy lot, and they work well; they have been much
more contented since they took their few days up-country, as it has made
them realise that in most ways they are better off here.
As the summer comes on, the creeping and crawling beasts are getting
very objectionable; amongst others that come into my room are
grasshoppers, locusts, flying beetles (huge brutes), and mosquitoes.
When they get very numerous, I have to turn my light off and wait till I
hear them all make for the electric light outside.
There are six cats about the place, and two of them insist on sleeping
in my room (of course my door and window are always open); one always
sleeps on my chest of drawers, and the other on the clothes basket, so I
feel safe that snakes won't come in, as a cat always lets you know when
one is about.
One night the small tabby brought the most extraordinary creature into
my room: it was like a small crab, and it ran round and round in a
circle, and squeaked like one of those clock-work mice.
The other day it began to rain, and then we were afflicted by a perfect
scourge of flying ants, which I had never seen before in such numbers.
They covered the walls of our rooms, and some of the sisters could eat
no dinner, as they were so thick on the mess-room table. The men in the
wards swept them up in bucketfuls; then, in a couple of hours, they all
took themselves off again, without any apparent method in their madness.
We have all sorts of vegetables and flowers coming on in the garden, the
rainy weather suiting them well, but the wet days are rather dull for
the men, and there seems to be more sickness starting again up-country.
I had a letter from J. the other day from Kroonstad, saying that he was
fit and well, but heartily sick of trekking about the Free State. Really
_all_ the men seem so tired of the war just now; it is all very well to
put up with hardships, and short rations, for a few months, but when it
runs on to a year, every one has had enough.
The other day we had a wire to ask for a doctor to go to an officer who
had been taken ill when on leave about an hour up the line from here.
Dr. ---- went to see him and found him rather bad, so the next day a
stretcher-party went up and brought him here. We have several rather bad
cases in just now, but we have plenty of people to look after them, and
there is none of the anxiety we had at first, when we were overwhelmed
with enteric cases, and the orderlies were so helpless.
We hear that Lord Roberts is coming down this way soon, but there are so
many rumours that we hardly know what to believe.
XXXVIII
PINETOWN, NATAL,
_November 1900_.
Of course you will have heard that poor Prince Christian Victor died at
Pretoria of enteric. He was buried in the military cemetery there, and
there was a service in the cathedral; I heard it was very
impressive--about 1000 troops attended.
I should like to have been in Pretoria when the Proclamation declaring
the annexation of the Transvaal was read. I heard it was very fine. Lord
Roberts arrived with a big escort (including some fine Indians), and
massed bands played "God Save the Queen," and then the Royal Standard
was run up, and then again "God Save the Queen." After that there were
no less than six Victoria Crosses for Lord Roberts to pin on--he stood
on the steps of the old Dutch church--and then there was a march past of
10,000 troops. I believe the march past took two hours, though the
infantry left the Square at the "double."
It is very difficult to judge, but many people here seem to think the
war is by no means over yet; however, if Lord Roberts does go home, we
shall have K. of K. to finish the business.
The chief thing of interest here early in the month was some difficulty
about the three civil surgeons who were still here (of those who came
out with us). There has been some muddle since the Government took over
the hospital, as to whether they were to have the pay of medical
officers engaged at home or of those engaged out here; after some
correspondence they were dissatisfied with the terms, and thought they
were being hardly treated; and then a wire came that they were to
prepare to proceed to England, as their services were no longer
required. I expect they will get the matter settled all right when they
get home.
It was quite a business getting them all packed up in a hurry, and they
had to arrange about selling their horses, &c.
They gave a farewell dinner-party, which we all attended.
The Army Medical Department is a bit unsettling; of course you have to
do exactly what you are told, and you are told to do things so suddenly:
just a wire comes, and very often next day you move.
Colonel Galway (the P.M.O.) has gone home, and we miss him very much; he
has been so particularly nice every time he has been here.
We have had a very quiet time lately. They are closing some beds up at
Maritzburg, and sent us down a very good wardmaster and fifteen R.A.M.C.
orderlies--some of them men with six or seven years' service.
At first the sisters could hardly realise that these men were really
good nurses, as they have been so used to having to do most of the
nursing themselves until they had shown each particular orderly how to
do things; so they think now that the army sisters, in time of peace,
must have a very easy life!
One night we had some people to dinner, and then they gave the men such
a good concert. Some of the orderlies helped--one of them plays the
violin beautifully, and the little Australian boy "bugled."
Another day a clergyman, who has a boys' school up the line, brought all
his boys down to pay us a visit, and they played a cricket match against
the medical officers and orderlies.
One other form of amusement has been very popular with the men, though
rather an unusual one for hospital patients; we have a Lieutenant of the
R.A.M.C. on duty here now, and when he went to the remount depot to
secure a horse, he was rather surprised that a very nice-looking beast
was willingly handed over to him when he said he would like it; but when
they got it up here it promptly chucked all the stableboys in turn, and
proved to be a bad Australian buckjumper!
Then the men, patients and orderlies, wanted to try their hand with him,
and some of the Australian Bushmen are splendid at sticking on. Now he
is getting quite tame, and only bucks a little when they first mount.
The daily riding of the buckjumper has amused the whole camp; and I
should simply have loved to try my hand at sticking on, but my damaged
side won't allow me to ride anything for some time yet, though I am
getting about my work all right, going slow.
They have had a very "mixed" lot of horses out here, and many people
seem to think the war might have been over now if they had had a better
supply of horses at first.
The English chargers have worked awfully well, but the food of the
country has not been suitable for them, and the little Boer ponies are
much better suited for the rough ground and the poor food.
They are so used to picking their way on the veldt that they hardly
ever put a foot into a hole; and then at night they will peck about and
nibble odds and ends at which an English horse turns up his nose.
At first the men did not think the Boer ponies were big enough to carry
the necessary weight, but now they find they are, and that they wear
better, because they are not always hungry, as seems to be the case with
the unfortunate big horses. Still, the good old London 'bus horses have
done very useful work with the guns.
They have had many horses from New Zealand, Australia, and the
Argentine--these last often very bad-tempered beasts.
As the men all seem so well satisfied with these Boer ponies, it might
be a good plan after the war to start a big Government breeding station
out here, in some bit of healthy grass country. A man told me they could
ship horses to England for about £20 for the voyage, and that if it was
undertaken in a proper way, it ought not to cost more than about £5 to
rear a horse, or perhaps £7 to put a four-year-old on board ship, so
they could have one of the best landed in England for under £30, where
there is so much trouble about getting the right kind of horses in
sufficient numbers. They would be suitable for work in almost any
climate, as they have to put up with such rapid changes of temperature
here.
We have lately had a R.A.M.C. Major here, partly as a patient and partly
as a visitor. He was in Ladysmith through the siege, and had very hard
work (so many doctors ill); then he was sent down to a hospital ship as
a patient, and very soon the C.O. was called away, and he was put in
charge while still ill. He has been three trips in her, and seems to
have had a lot of work and worry, and now he is ordered to go up and
take charge of a 500-bed hospital, and is not in the least fit for it.
They won't spare any R.A.M.C. men to be invalided home just now, as they
seem to want to weed out all the civil surgeons first. This man wants
the most careful feeding to get him right; at first I was always running
after him with egg flips or some little feed, but now he is beginning to
enjoy ordinary food better.
I have heard a good deal about the siege from him: he tells me it was
awful being responsible for sick men and not being able to get things
for them. At one time he had 400 very sick under his charge, and all he
could get for them was five, or sometimes six, small tins of condensed
milk a day, when they all needed milk. He says that the men had no time
to convalesce: it was three days up and out of bed, and then straight to
the trenches; the poor fellows were so awfully weak that they used to
have to send a mule waggon to cart them down. They put a rifle in their
hands, and carted them back again at night.
For a short time, too, we had another Major for a "rest and feed up"; he
is an M.P. when he is at home, but was out here with the Yeomanry. He is
also on the mend now.
I have had the very sweetest puppy given to me--a little black spaniel.
He has been christened "Bobs," and he follows me about everywhere.
I must tell you a little joke about some officers who were here. There
is a big Convalescent Depot at Howick, and no one seems to like going
there, but at one time we were so full up with officers (and more
wanting to come), that the Major chose out three or four who were
practically well, but not quite fit to rough it at the front yet, and
sent them up to Howick. We gave them some sandwiches and fruit to
console them on the way, and at Maritzburg they bought a bottle of
champagne, and were having a great lunch in the train. There was one
little man in plain clothes in the carriage besides our party, so they
invited him to lunch, but he refused. While they were lunching they were
all talking about what a good time they had had here, and what hard luck
it was that the C.O. had pitched on them to go up to the "Home for Lost
Dogs" (as Howick is called)--every one said it was a horrid hole, and of
course they exaggerated all the bad things they had heard about it. When
they got to Howick the little man in plain clothes got out, and an
orderly came up and saluted and took his bag, and he proved to be the
Colonel in charge at Howick!
We sent off sixty men on the 21st, and, a few days later had seventy men
down from Standerton, all supposed to be convalescents, but two of them
have developed definite enteric, and as they have been at Standerton for
some time ill with something else, they must have become infected up
there. I am afraid enteric is getting rather bad again farther up, but
of course there always is more at this season, and they are better
prepared to tackle it now.
The big hospital at Estcourt has been moved up to Pretoria, and I
believe the beds at Maritzburg have been reduced from 1600 to 200; and
now we hear that they are having rather a scare lest they should be
short of beds on this side.
The other day a man from the Ordnance Department came up to see about
putting new sinks in the theatre and otherwise improving the buildings,
so that does not look as though we were to close just yet; but I think
if the place is kept going into the New Year they are bound to send an
Army Superintendent in my place, as it would be too "irregular" to leave
me here now that there are so many army sisters about (with some
hospitals already closed), and not by any means all of them acting as
superintendents.
XXXIX
S.S. "CANADA" between CAPE TOWN and
ST. HELENA, _December 1900_.
We have had an exciting time since I last wrote to you; I had better
begin at the beginning, and tell you of the upheaval.
At the beginning of the month we heard that the P.M.O. was hovering
near, so we thought he would come to inspect us, and then we should
learn our fate.
Instead of that, one Sunday our Major had a wire asking him to go down
to see the P.M.O. in Durban the next morning "on urgent business." Every
one was so excited on Monday they did not know how to work, and I saw
that all the medical officers were ready to waylay the poor Major as
soon as he got back, so I kept out of the way, thinking he would be
tired, and that we should hear the news after he had had some tea.