Saturday 4^th November

Another alarm at 5 to 12 am but nothing came off.  Under martial law, when the alarm is sounded all stores have to close and everyone to return to their homes which is very inconvenient for business people especially on Saturdays.   The stores did not open again that day, all the stores close at 5-30  except Saturdays at 7-30.  It was advertised during the week that on Sunday Nov 5th the Combined Bands of the Regulars & Volunteers would give a concert in the Gardens at 4 o'clock to help raise funds for the refugees, admission 2/- each, it was very well patronised with crowds of people, when just as the band was about to start, a shell or something was fired by the Boers at Kenilworth.  The alarm sounded & we had to rush home before a note was played.   Mrs E, Miss Ellham, Pauline, Ernest, William & myself were there.  On Saturday the Boer Commandant of the Free State sent a letter to the Officer Commanding the Imperial troops that if he did not surrender Kimberley by 6 o'clock on Monday morning, he (the Boer) would shell Kimberley, so I expected there would be some fighting.  However nothing came off except that 2 shells were sent into Werselton about 7 o'clock in the evening.