Provisions

At the commencement of the Siege the following approximate weights of stores were available to feed a Population of 21156. Almost a million pounds of flour, 173 000 pounds of tinned meat, 142 000 pounds of biscuits, 267 000 pounds of sugar, 23 000 pound of tea, 9500 pounds of coffee, 3 965 000 pounds of maize. In addition to feed the animals there was 1 270 000 pounds of oats, 923 000 pounds of bran and 1 864 000 pounds of hay.

Colonel Ward of the Army Service Corps, with the assistance of Colonel Stoneman, had by the middle of November purchased all available essential foods and had stocks for eighty days. He also secured all the beer and spirits that were available in order to prevent the men from abusing it. On 11th November 1899 tinned milk was priced at 8 pence, jam 9 pence and prices worsened as stocks dwindled. By the 16th December 1899 eggs 10 shillings per dozen, jam 3 shillings and 6 pence a tin and by the 3rd January 1900 eggs had risen to 17 shillings a dozen and sugar 1 shilling a pound.

On 8th November 1899 the rations for all residents consisted of one pound of meat or bone, one pound of bread, some tea and some sugar which was reduced to quarter rations by the 25th December. By 13th February 1900 the issue had been reduced yet again to one pound of horsemeat, 1/16 ounce of tea, one ounce of salt, one ounce of vinegar and some rotten mealie meal. Several ingenious Recipes were devised to help vary the diet. One resident observed that it was sad to see “Tommy so hungry and begging for scraps and that all the fruit and vegetables had been stolen from the gardens”. On the 1st February 1900 Colonel Ward made the decision to “recycle” the horses and with Lieutenant McNalty they came up with Chevril. 

                      Boer biltong                            

On St. Andrews day the Gordon’s put on a siege dinner with the following menu: Scotch Broth Broth, Haggis, Saddle of Mutton, Turkey and Lamb followed by fruit salad.

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On Christmas day the 5th Dragoon Guards sat down to a Meal of note.

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Under the supervision of Colonel Stoneman and Captain Thompson, a dairy farm was established and was still in operation by the end of March 1900. The owners of the cows getting paid 1 shilling per quart of milk.

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Rations per person at the beginning of the siege were

1¼ pound Bread or 1 pound biscuit; 1¼ pound Fresh meat or 1 pound preserved meat

1 ounce Coffee; ½ ounce tea; 3 ounce Sugar; ½ ounce Salt

1-36 ounce Pepper; 1 ounce compressed vegetables; ½ pound potatoes

At the end of the Siege these rations had been reduced to starvation portions of

¼ pound biscuit; 3 ounce Maize meal; 1 pound Fresh meat; 1-12 ounce Coffee or Tea

1-63 ounce Pepper; 1-3 ounce Salt; 1 ounce Sugar; 1-20 ounce mustard; 1-12 gill vinegar