Sunday 11^th February

The 17th week of the siege.   As I said the Boers give us peace on Sundays & do no shelling.   At the same time it is a miserable day, everyone is running from place to place, changing their residence, carrying mattresses & bedding (those who cannot afford to pay for a cart) to places of safety, as it is expected that we shall have a hot time of it tomorrow.   The De Beers Coy have put out notices that all women & children are to go to the different mines where they will be put down for safety.   Many people are building bomb-proof shelters in their yards, that is, digging a small room in the ground, covering it over with sheet iron, or rails, and filling gaps with sand or gravel & packing them on the top & the people get inside during the time shelling is going on.   Mr Rhodes has today received a message from Lord Roberts that a flying relief column will be in Kimberley about Thursday next.   I truly hope they will for I am getting very sick of this business, of course I am not the only one, at the same time it is not a very comfortable feeling to think that when you are going to your meals that you might come in contact with a 100 pounder or part of one.   Mrs Solomon died this morning.