This bridge, carrying the railway from the Cape to Kimberley and Mafeking, marked the northern position of the British during the early days of the war. Although weakly held, it did not fall into the enemy's hands. The photograph shows the camp of the small force which held the northern or exposed end of the bridge.
OORLOG'S SPRUIT BRIDGE, BETWEEN COLESBURG AND NORVAL'S PONT. DESTROYED BY BOERS, November 5.
Oct. 17-31, 1899.] Bombardment of Mafeking.
On November 7 the garrison made a very successful sortie, drawing the Boers under the fire of our ambushed artillery by a feigned retreat. The enemy broke and fled in great disorder, losing heavily. After this an interval of Boer inactivity followed, though the town was constantly shelled. Cronje, with a good number of his men, was withdrawn, as his services were wanted elsewhere, and Commandant Snyman replaced him. The position of the biggest of the Boer guns was altered; the Boer field artillery left for the south.
G. Soper.] [From a photograph by J. E. Neilly.
A LULL IN THE FIGHTING: DINNER-TIME AT MAFEKING DURING THE SIEGE.
This photograph represents the interior of the "Graveyard Redan," at the cemetery, and is shown on the extreme right of the plan on opposite page.
[Oct. 12-15, 1899.
The accuracy of the Boer fire was great. Seven successive shots from the 5·9-inch gun struck the front of one of the forts, completely destroying the earthworks, though, strangely enough, there was no loss of life. The convent was hit eight times; a shell struck a hotel and, bursting, moved a billiard table some inches without injuring those who were playing billiards. Another shell took off the roof of a house in which five men were breakfasting without wounding any of the five.