RESCUE OF THE QUEEN OF DIAMONDS.

Evening Star, Issue 11251, 26 May 1900, Page 6

RESCUE OF THE QUEEN OF DIAMONDS.

I am in the palace of the Empress Kimberley, the Queen of Diamonds, who was kissed by the beautiful youth, General French, and woke up after a four months’ sleep (says Mr Julian Ralph, writing in the ‘ Daily Mail ’). “ A whisky and soda,” says I to a myrmidon at the club. “ Ain’t had no whisky for eight weeks,” ’ says he. “ Milk for my coffee,” says I. “ The regulars has the only milk there is,” says he, likewise lots of jam—n.ud they won’t give it up. I finish my meal and buy a cigar. G j,’ e ft raatch,” I says. “There’s the merchant of tobacco remarks. The matches run out in November." A city relieved after a siege is a queer place, there never were so few horses in the streets of any modern town as are to be seen here The people havo eaten them; also the donkeys] which they declare to be far preferable to horses and mules, which are stringy and dry and tough. The dogs consist of bones and a tongue hanging out. They look like the frames of dogs m process of construction. No water runs in the wash basins or bath tubs no electricity sparkles in the street lamps.’ nothing appears to be natural and in working ?, er ’ ,® xce Pk the negroes in the streets, and I m told that a troop of them is down with the scurvy. GRIEVANCES AGAINST THE MILITARY. What chafed and irritated the resourceful leaders of the place was the knowledge that they had begged the Imperial authorties to provide them with 2,000 regulars, and these had been refused. Had they been provided l * i if ru,y ?* i(i thero wou,d have.been no battle of Magcrsfontein, because the garrison could have prevented the Boers from making a stand either there or in the suburbs of the Diamond City, But they have other and many grievances against the military, whom they regard as hide-bound by rules, beset with a professional pride which brooks no outside assistance aud advice, and confirmed in methods which do not fit the South African situation. The chief spirit of Kimberley ventured to suggest that a certain general should avoid aud turn the Magcrsfontein position, and advance past it to Kimberley on the open level veldt, as trench did afterwards, but the only satistaction that came of this was a notification that the general did not wish further correspondenca on military matters. Later, Severn ot the leading citizens wrote this same suggestion to Lord Roberts, and received a courteous and gratifying answer. However, all friction has ceased, and all the grievances are relegated to liistory. The handful of regulars, who would have been wholly ineffective without ~e volunteers of nine times their strength, all fought side by side and kept- the enemy away until relief came. Colonel Kekewieh lias been duly honored with promotion for his part, m the plucky defence, and now the people wait to hear and sec what recognition, honor, and preferment are to come to the equally and resourceful loaders of those forces ■which ore not trained or sworn to the pursuit ° j nns ’ yet took to them upon the noblest i * n< * J most unselfish impulse of public spirit. And they wait also to see and hear what recognition is to be the reward of the humane and generous gentlemen who fed the citizens and built them a great gun, who kept high hearts in the bodies of the mass, who con- • trolled the blacks, and never, wearied in watchfulness and well-doing while the awful strain endured.