were practically out of the dangerous zone. We dined comfortably in our
compartment, and I heard many more reminiscences of the advance from two
travelling companions who had taken part in it. Suddenly in the next
compartment a party of Canadian officers commenced singing part-songs
with real musical talent. We relapsed into silence as we heard the
"Swanee River" sung more effectively than I have ever heard it before or
since, and it reminded me that we, too, were going home. Presently we
found ourselves joining in the chorus of that most touching melody,
"Going back to Dixie," greatly to the delight of our sociable and
talented neighbours. Daylight next morning brought us to Bloemfontein
and civilization, and what impressed me most was the fact of daily
newspapers being sold at a bookstall, which sight I had not seen for
many months. On arriving at Cape Town, I was most hospitably entertained
at Groot Schuurr by Colonel Frank Rhodes, in the absence of his brother.
This mansion had been a convalescent home for many officers ever since
the war began. There I passed a busy ten days in seeing heaps of
friends, and I had several interviews with Sir Alfred Milner, to whom
events of the siege and relief of Mafeking were of specially deep
interest. I gave him as a memento a small Mauser bullet mounted as a
scarf-pin, and before leaving for England I received from him the
following letter:

"GOVERNMENT HOUSE,
"CAPE TOWN,
"_November 7, 1900._

"DEAR LADY SARAH,

"How very kind of you to think of giving me that interesting relic of
Mafeking! It will indeed revive memories of anxiety, as well as of the
intensest feeling of relief and thankfulness that I have ever
experienced.

"Hoping we shall meet again when 'distress and strain are over,'

"I am,
"Yours very sincerely,
"ALFRED MILNER."

Much of my time was also occupied in corresponding with Mafeking about
the distribution of the fund which was being energetically collected in
London by my sister, Lady Georgiana Curzon. Many weeks before we were
relieved I had written to Lady Georgiana, then hard at work with the
organization of the Yeomanry Hospital, suggesting to her to start a
relief fund for the inhabitants of Mafeking. It had all along seemed to
me that these latter deserved some substantial recognition and
compensation beyond what they could expect from the Government, for
damage done to their homes and their shops, and for the