DONE WITH THE WAR.

ANOTHER CONTINGENT ARRIVES. WAIMANA BRINGS 1673 TROOPS. ) ONE DEATH ON VOYAGE. A CARGO OF WAR TROPHIES. The Waimana, which arrived this j morning, with a contingent of New Zea- ! land troops, has become an historic yes- , sel in association with the transport ot our soldiers to and from the Dominion. ' It was this steamer that helped to carry away the Main Body from New Zealand, and since then she has visited New Zealand once only, having been engaged in the meantime '» the North Atlantic, carrying meat from the Argentine to England, and making one or two trips . with American and Canadian soldiers. The steamer's return this morning with 1675 soldiers, including 766 Auckland men, is another historic event in the Waimana's record. The Waimana, -which arrived in the stream at nine o'clock this morning, left Tilbury Docks on May 10, and came to New Zealand via the Panama Canal. The 1 passage wae a good one, except for some : rough weather that was encountered just ' after leaving England, and before reach-' ling Auckland. Tne health of the troops has been exceedingly good throughout the trip, mumps, of which there wae adaily average of eighteen cases, a couple of cases of pneumonia, and a dozen minor ailments, being the only entries on the hospital records from time to time. There were still a number of mumps cases on the vessel on her arrival at Auckland, and these were removed to the hospital at Narrow Neck. DEATH FROM HEART FAILURE. One death occurred during the voyage, that of Sapper M. D. Campbell, who lived at Maeterton. The late Sapper Campbell was taking part in a boxing bout, when he took ill and died shortly afterwards from heart failure. He waa buried at ' sea on June 11, a day after the transport 2 left Pitcairn Island. I The usual ports of call were made on the voyage. At Colon an enthusiastic j reception was given to the troops, the American citizens going to great lengths to make the visiting soldiers thoroughly happy during their day ashore. Motor rides, good things to eat, and all that the ingenuity of an enterprising committee could devise, were brought into requisition, and judging from the remarks passed by the returned men, the Americans succeeded in making their visitors' stay a memorable one. The American V.M.C.A. played an important part in carrying out the reception at Colon. The vessel also called at Pitcairn, where the residents rowed out and sold fruit to the soldiers on the transport. . The islanders all appeared to be in good . health and spirits. ! MEN'S GOOD BEHAVIOUR. As there was very little spare room on the transport it was found very diffl- . cult to carry out anything in the nature of educational classes. The amusements, however, were well attended to, concerts ' averaging three a. week—an arrangement made possible by the presence on the vessel of the whole of t4ie Second Auckland Battalion Band, which -has returned intact after being with the battalion in France. Sports, in which boxing played a large part, were held frequently. In this connection, the officer com- , manding the ship, Lieutenant-Colonel S. S. Allen, D.5.0., states that the conduct of the troops throughout the voyage was excellent. They were always in the best of good humour, and =2 d'ffieunlties whatever in the way of maintaining fiist--1 rate discipline were experienced. Only i one parade wae held daily. At Colon, the troops behaved in an exemplary manner, and returned to the ahip at the proper time, and in good order. ALL "CLASS A." Most of the troops on the Waimana 1 are men who left with reinforcements ■ up to the middle of 1917, so that soldiers who are still to return to New Zealand will be those of the latter half of 1917 and onwards. All of the Waimana's contingent are "Class A"—that is, men who would be actually fit to enter the firing line if the war were still ' on. A large proportion of them ar« ' wearing wounded stripes, and most of them have been in France for well over a year. A small number of Main Body men, about a dozen in all, are among the draft, and a few of these actually saiiled on the Waimana when she made her trip with the Main Body. " THOUSANDS OF WAR TROPHIES. The Waimana has returned with a . unique cargo of thousands of war trophies, including samples of practically every German fighting device. There are 22 field guns, including one 135 millimetre piece that was captured by Col. S. S. Allen's battalion near Welsh Ridge on September 29. Other items are:— Seven 4.2 howitzers, hundreds of machine guns, bundles of rifles, a trench mortar, and its fit tin ss (including the bed. extra. t barrel and elevator)., several crates of, t aeroplane wings, and an aeroplane! ' engine, hospital beds, barracks beds, trench clubs, body armour* dugout \ frames, gae masks, smoke-screen prot ducere, and numberless other, objects. It I is understood that these trophies are in- ! tended for a Dominion War Museum. THE OFFICIAL WELCOME. f The Waimana was berthed at the I Queen's Wharf at 11 a.m., and tlie| ' usual arrangements wore made for her - reception. Next of kin were to have been 1 admitted to the enclosure on the presen--1 tation of passes, but during the morning, » the crowd at the main wharf gates, as a result of a particularly heavy shower of rain, pushed their way through and streamed down the wharf to the barriers erected around the ship's berthing place.: As the transport drew alongside the wharf, ships sounded their sirens, and the crowd at the barriers added their cheers to the welcoming noise. The t Mayor, Mr. J. H. Gunson, accompanied j. by Mr. H. D. Heather, chairman of the! . Harbour Board, went on the transport' to officially welcome the soldiers on be-! I half of Auckland's citizens. The minis-! . tering committee of the Women's | . Patriotic League was in attendance in! , one of the wharf sheds with supplies of| . frnit and refreshments. As usual, I splendid work was done by the Volun-' j tary Motor Corps under Mr. A. A. , 'Martin, in carrying the Auckland men , to their homes. A ferry steamer carryj ing ncxt-of-kin went out and circled' f round the transport m the stream. ; ; The men of the Southern quota were t entertained at luncheon, and a hot meal i is to be given them at 4.30 p.m. Arrange- ) merits have been made to entertain them i with motor rides or free picture enter- - tainments during their stay in the city ' 1 and they will leave for their homes in"! Bjecial trains at 3,30 pjn. and 7.20 pja, »

RETURNED OFFICERS. The principal medical officer with «ha draft was Lieutenant-Colonel P J j O rv N.Z.M C of Birkenhead. Lieutenant-* I Colonel Jory, who had just completed lug , m- lieai courae at Dunedin when the war broke out, left New Zealand with the Main Force as a lieutenant, and re-m-imed uu service without a break till hostilities ceased. Tie other medical officers were Captains P. Benham MC and Simmonds. "' Amongst a. number of Main Body officers on the Waimana were Major M. W. Higginson, M.C., and Captain G. Hessell. The latter enlisted as a private! The ship's adjutant, Captain W. \v! Dove, M.C., of Remuera, was a member of the Samoan expedition, and afterwards went to Europe with the Kitte Brigade. Only one chaplain was allotted to the Waimana, namely, Rev. W. Skinner (Roman Catholic), of Auckland. Returning with the draft was Mr. J. V. Banna, V.M.C.A. field secretary, who before going to the front was physical instructor at the Auckland V.M.C.A., Mr. Haima took a leading part in organising sports and entertainments on the voyage, and became extremely popular with the men on that account.