en proved the truth of the saying, "Adventures to the
adventurous."

I am indebted to Colonel Vyvyan for statistics respecting the Mafeking
Relief Fund; and to Miss A. Fielding, secretary to the late Countess
Howe, for a resume of the work of the Yeomanry Hospital during the Boer
War.

S.I.W.

THE STUD HOUSE,
HAMPTON COURT.
_September, 1909_.

CONTENTS

I. FIRST VOYAGE TO SOUTH AFRICA--CAPE TOWN

II. KIMBERLEY AND THE JAMESON RAID

III. THE IMMEDIATE RESULTS OF THE RAID--THE RAIDERS THEMSELVES

IV. JOHANNESBURG AND PRETORIA IN 1896

V. THREE YEARS AFTER--LORD MILNER AT CAPE TOWN BEFORE THE WAR--MR.
CECIL RHODES AT GROOT SCHUURR--OTHER INTERESTING PERSONAGES

VI. PREPARATIONS FOR WAR--MAFEKING, AND DEPARTURE THEREFROM

VII. IN A REBELLIOUS COLONY--VISIT TO VRYBURG DURING THE
BOER OCCUPATION--I PASS OFF AS A DUTCHMAN'S SISTER

VIII. BETRAYED BY A PIGEON--THE BOERS COME AT LAST

IX. HOW I WAS MADE A PRISONER--IN A BOER LAAGER

X. EXCHANGED FOR A HORSE-THIEF--BACK TO MAFEKING
AFTER TWO MONTHS' WANDERINGS

XI. LIFE IN A BESIEGED TOWN

XII. LIFE IN A BESIEGED TOWN _(continued)_

XIII. ELOFF'S DETERMINED ATTACK ON
MAFEKING, AND THE RELIEF OF THE TOWN

XIV. ACROSS THE TRANSVAAL TO PRETORIA DURING THE WAR

XV. PRETORIA AND JOHANNESBURG UNDER LORD ROBERTS AND MILITARY LAW

XVI. MY RETURN TO CIVILIZATION ONCE MORE--THE
MAFEKING FUND--LETTERS FROM THE KING AND QUEEN

XVII. THE WORK OF LADY GEORGIANA CURZON, LADY CHESHAM, AND THE
YEOMANRY HOSPITAL, DURING THE WAR--THIRD VOYAGE TO THE CAPE, 1902

XVIII. FOURTH VOYAGE TO THE CAPE--THE VICTORIA
FALLS AND SIX WEEKS NORTH OF THE ZAMBESI

APPENDIX I. MAFEKING RELIEF FUND

APPENDIX II. IMPERIAL YEOMANRY HOSPITALS, 1900-1902

CHAPTER I

FIRST VOYAGE TO SOUTH AFRICA--CAPE TOWN.

"Oh that mine adversary had written a book!"--JOB xxxi. 35.

The above words, written by one of the greatest philosophers of olden
time, have often impressed me, and I have frequently quoted them when
asked why I did not write an account of the interesting travels and
adventures I have had in my life. It has therefore required a great deal
of courage to take up my pen and record a few recollections of South
Africa. I felt that, were they ever to be written at all, it must be
before the rapidly passing