As an A.D.C., Dixon was well-placed to observe events both in Head Quarters (one drawing shows a bemused General White beleagured by three subordinates, each intent on monopolising the services of two newly-arrived howitzers) and elsewhere (another picture shows Dixon disconsolately sitting above his flooded dug-out while his native orderly retrieves his sodden sketch-book from the river.) The alleged distaste of the Boers for personal hygiene (euphemistically referred to as "hydrophobian tendencies") inspire several of the sketches, while others relate to incidents in the enemy camp observed through telescopes. These entertaining illustrations give a most evocative, and probably very accurate, impression of the appearance of soldiers, civilians and enemy involved in the siege.
See illustration of one cartoon.