Diary belonging to Archibald William Lawton Wookey, 1900-1901 - Part 2

Nov 11^th "Sunday" sank 6 ft
for water struck a little
At 11 oclock Mr White picked 
three men I was one of them we
walked a mile or so sank 4 ft
in hard ground under a very
hot sun struck solid rock no
water returned to camp &
then it rained in torrents
slept well
Nov 12^th Rain cleared
Nov 13^th Fine day left
25 mile camp for Tuli
Nov 14th Arrived in camp
about 7 oclock no tents
to sleep in spread blankets &

turned in
Nov 15^th mail arrived
in camp one letter from
RW. quite well "very hot"
Friday Nov 16^th Fine day Hospital
refused patients.
Sat Nov 17^th Heavy Thunderstorm
rain fell in torrents water
poured through the tents 

Sunday Nov 18^th fine day Church
service Bugle band with
drum led us back to camp
Nov 19^th Every man was
examined by the doctor this
morning 38 were sick out 63
on parade hospital full
Captain Curray in hospital
only one officer fit for
duty in our Company
Nov 20^th Very Hot
Concert at night terrable.
storm about midnight
we had to hold the
tent up by the pole
& it rained in torrents
"General Carington attended
the Concert"
Nov 21^st sun very hot after
the rain fifteen pounder battery
left Tuli for Bulawayo
Thursday
Nov 22^nd Eclipse of Sun 8 AM.
Nov 23. mail one letter from
G.M. also wrote to Willie London
NIR left for Ponts drift
4.45 this afternoon we
cheered I gave the Warcry 

Nov 25^th Sunday, Divine
Service held opposite Store
fine day Very hot
Guard of Honour to, General
Carrington on his departure 
for Bulawayo 30 men x out
of 40 fit for duty; fell in
on the parade ground in

a boiling hot sun perspiration

running off us. Camp Fire

service tonight by Rv Morton.

Nov 26^th. Went to look for

lost horse found five 20 

miles of out from camp

Had a talk with some

dark girls at [[likia?]].

Nov 27^th. Stores arrived

at store, looks like rain,

Nov 28 Very hot loading

transport wagons for Bulawayo

Nov 29^th Very Hot &

plenty of flies. Mail

in no letters for 14^th Company.

Nov 30^th. Very windy

sick men left for Bulawayo.

Saturday

Dec 1^st. Cool day Captain

still in Hospital Piquet tonight.
24 hours.

0

Dec 2^nd Sunday Church Parade

Piquet does not attend Church

Camp fire service this evening

Subject Arabah of the Somer also

touched on two last subjects

Jacob & David & Joseph.

Dec 3^rd quite well fine day

Had to attend to a funeral

of a late yeomanry 61^st

Irishman named Russell

Millionair.

At midnight one of

the guard shot at twice

by a Boer spy we suppose

one shot pierced his arm

above the elbow the other

went through his water bottle

& entered a wagon wheel

near by, spy not caught up to

present.

Dec 4^th Very hot heavy rain

fell to day

Dec 5^th plenty Rain

Friday Dec 7^th 1900  ✓

29 Men 1 officer left

our company for

Bulawayo.

Satd Dec 8^th. On guard tonight

over stores & Ammunition

6pm sharp.

Sunday 9^th Dec. leaving for

Bulawayo 4.30 for arrival

6.30 at 6 mile camp same night

"Church This morning". on

piquet tonight 3h 10 mts). 27 men

2 guns pom poms.

Monday Dec 10^th. Revallie 4.30am

mounted 5.30 Am Camped till at

7.30 Am till 4.30 pm arrived at

camp & stayed all night.

Beautiful scenery lovely lillies

growing along the road & in

the gullies.

Tues Dec 11^th left camp 5 30 am tracked

6 miles camped till 4pm next

told by other

day lion prowled around

camp best part of night

A couple of nights ago a lion

killed an horse & devoured one

Sholdier.

Thursd 13^th Dec started at 2 Am

& marched till 7 Am finishing

the day stretch of country.

Friday 14^th Tracked about

17 miles camped for the

night light rain began

to fall

Sat 15^th Arrived at

Mansinyama 10 Am after just

hours march & Received

a large mail 12 papers

from Pop six letters

five from Ian I.G. Finwald

Dated Aug 19^th Aug 26^th

Bdl Aug 23^rd fording river

on horse back nearly

drowned horse kicked

me in the leg in water

"Sunday" Dec 16^th. Camped

for the day Mansinyama

plenty of water two men

came into camp ^at midnight drunk

insulted an officer &

xx were arrested this

morning (Monday)

Monday Dec 17th. left

Manzinyama 6 pm &

Monday Dec 17^th leaving
here this afternoon 5 pm
(Manzinyama) tracked 5 miles
Camped & then came on 4 mls
to, water this morning Dec 18^th
arrived 6.30 Am camped till
4.30 pm then tracked 7 miles to bivouak
for night
Wensday Dec 19^th
Revallie 4 am xxx
started 5 am travelled 10 miles
camped at 8 am till 5 pm
& then marched till 6.30 pm
Thursy Dec 20^th left camp 5 am
& camped again 8.30 Am till
4.30 tracked till 7 pm
Heavy rain all the afternoon
& night had a very
miserable night
Friday Dec 21^st Rain cleared
this morning & the sun
came out very hot  & we
camped till afternoon
untill next day
Sat Dec 22^nd left camp 4.30
& camped again after 10 miles
journey @ 7 pm Trooper E [[Emm?]]
died of Black water fever 

Sunday 23^rd Dec. Heavy rain
this afternoon Camped six
miles out of Bulawayo Huts
night
Monday 24^th Arrived Hillside
camp 1 mile ^from Bulawayo at 9 am
& had to go without Breakfast
on acc of water. Military Sports
Today ¼ mile from camp exellent
One letter from Oct 15^th  D.W. & E.L since 5^th
"Bulawayo"
Tuesday Xmas Day Dec 25^th
Church parade this morning
Plum pudding 1 tin
weight given to each 
man by the Canteen
Propritior Colonel Woods
wished us Merry Xmas
also Liet MacMillian.
Very Hot. five months
pay due & we cannot
get a penny of it. every
man wanting money
all "broke" piquet tonight
Wensday D^ec 26^th Ordered to
Kimberly tomorrow Extra
leave granted to me & [[?]]

two mates Walked down
town looked around
plenty of well dressed
ladies about but it 
was not long before
my mates began to
show signs of merrimen
at 11.30 went to dance
plenty of fun & about
12 o'clock I tried to
get them back to camp
& after a little persuading
got them on the road
& about ¼ mile out
met another friend
pretty merry "mounted"
& nothing would do
but they must lead
the horse after a
while we met two
more & then one of
them got on & double
banked the horse &
then they turned the
horse about & started
for Bulawayo but I caught
the bridle & turned its
head on the right road
& arrived in camp at
small hours in the morning 

& put them to bed
after a fashion. Ordered to
pack up by 12 oclock &
train at 4 pm
Dec 27^th pack up by 12 oclock
& train at 4.30 pm
left 8 pm rather crowded
in the trucks.
Dec 28^th fine day locusts
stopped the train
Dec 29^th Arrived Mafeking
2.30 pm quite well
untrained horses for 1 hour
& left, again at 4-30 pm
for Vryburg arrived
at 11.30 pm & it was
very miserable unloading
in the rain & dark.
Sunday 30^th Dec pitched
camp 100 yds from station,
Very flat country, "bad cold"
Monday 31^st Dec Very hot
Writing to D.W. No money!