No, it was poison.

She had heard the tale somewhere--from a railway official, she thought--and believed it with the assurance of the Christian verity.

Nearly every one is like that, and the wildest story finds disciples.
Rations are again reduced to-day to the following quantities: tinned meat 1/2 lb., or fresh meat 1 lb.; biscuit 1/2 lb., or bread 1 lb.; tea, 1/6 oz.; sugar, 1-1/2 ozs.; salt, 1/2 oz., and pepper 1/36 oz.
It has also been decided to turn all the horses out to grass, except the artillery, three hundred from the cavalry, seventy officers' chargers, and twenty engineers' draught.

These few are to be kept fed with rations of 3 lbs.

of mealies, 4 lbs.