THE ROUGH RIDERS' REUNION.

The first annual reunion of the rnemlwrs of the Third (Rough Riders) Contingent on Thursday night at Tattersall's Hotel, was a successful function. The muster was not so large aa it might have been, but this \rae due. as explained by the secretary, (Mr F. L. Murray) to the fact that many of the mn had "changed iheir addrcwes, and also to an unfortunate impression that | was prevalent that the reunion was one only of the Canterbury troop of tbo Contingent. Theie were two members of the North Island portion «»f the Contingent prownt. ami one of them Mated that but for the riiort notice revived there would have been a larger muster. Tlie proceedings throughout were thoroughly harmonious and enjoyable, and the delight experienced in meeting old comrades who had shared with each other the hardships of the .South African campaign was unaffectedly sincere. The popular officer who commanded the Contingent, Lieutenant -Colonel Jow*ey. C.M.G.. presided, who had on his right Mr \V. Recce. Colonel Slater, and Mr G. Humphreys, and on his left Mr Geo. It. Stead and* Mr Geo. Harris, members of the Canterbury War Fund Committee. The other members of the committee. Dr. Levinge and Mr Hy. Cotterill, were both unable to be present as they were out of town, and sent letters of apology regretting th-iir inability to take part in the gathering. Other, guests were Captain R. Heaton Rhodes, M.H.R.. who as Lieutenant Rhodes of the C.V.C. assisted with the training of the Canterbury Troop: Lieutenant G.. E. Rhodes, who acted similarly when SergeantMajor of the same corps;" Staff SergeantMajor Jones, of Timaru, who was one of the camp drill instructors, and Messrs J. Parkinson and W. Earnshaw, who also assisted at the Addington Camp. The members of the Contingent present were: — Lieutenant-Colonel Jowrey, C.M.G. (who commanded the Contingent), SergeantMajor Paton, Sergeant-Major Ensor, Sergeant Richards. Sergeant Ellison, Corporal Harper, Buglers Thorn and Syme. Farriers Dorn and Tillyshort. Troopers Knutron, Heasley, Knight, McDonald, R. S. Hugonin. Aclond, Kelcher, Porter, A. L. Ross, C. Wilson. C. Wheeler, J. Scott, R. Macfarlane, Hogg. Moss, A. Harper, Richardson, and F. L. Murray. Apologies were received• from the following:—LieutenantColonel Chaytor (who commanded the North Island portion of the Contingent), and Troopers Nurse, Duigan, and Stewart. The gathering sat down to an excellent banquet, at the conclusion of which a number of toasts were honoured. Colonel Jowsey, in proposing the Canterbury War Fund Committee, said that these present doubtless remembered the committee's many acts of kindness—(applause) —and the present being the first reunion of the Contingent they wished to the gentlemen comprising the committee their sincere, thanks for what they did for the Empire and for the Third Contingent. Hs» was not saying one word too much when he stated that a better committee had never been set up. (Applause.) The conscientious way in which the committee did their work not only reflected credit upon them, but had benefited the members of the Contingent. The committee had provided everything for them, and there was only one thing, the carbines—and he was pleased to say the committee had nothing to do with that part of the equipment—which was not so good as it might have been. The committee not only found horses and equipment, but paid the passages to Africa and landed the men right in front of the Boers without the cost of a penny to anyone else. (Applause.) It was, he thought, a unique caret in the history of New Zealand for a civilian committee to equip and send a body of fighting men to the front without asking any assistance from the country. They gave the committee credit for what they had done.in sending them, and in so amply providing good things for them. If he might answer for his own Contingent, he might tell the gentlemen comprising the committee that the men they sent had not disgraced them. Mr Recce was received with applause on rising to (respond. Hβ eaid he had had the pleasure of taking part in a number of public movements in Canterbury, but none had filled him, with so much pride as the f.haie he had had the honour to take in the d«?patch of the Rough Riders. ' The members of the War Fund Committee were not likely to. forget the time when ■ arrangements were being made for the despatch of, the contingent. Hβ was proud of the people of Canterbury, who, in such a short space of time,

raised such a large ram of money, and who showed that whatever was th* f«l- ----! ing. in regard, to the. war in oth«r parts of the world, Canterbury was loyal, and wse actuate by one_ motive only—the assistance of the Motlier Country. • (Applause.) ite was proud of the officers, j from Colonel Jowsey downwards, and he ! uas proud of the men, because lie felt, ami i had .<aid. that they were the best set-up lot of men anyone could wish to see. There was one tiling , wanting in regard :to the enntingetit, and that was a little liiKUiry of the whole of its career, from the time it left-till it returned, aud he hoped it would not be long before such a. history was written. The contingent liad boen always ready for anything iv the way of fighting, and never complained, no matter how much was aeked, but had been always ready, like men and sons of Britishers, to do their duty. He hoped the present function would be the forerunner of many similar gatherings. Mr Stead said tliat as the chairman of the Committee liad briefly touched on the doings of the contingent, and had referred to the country's indebtedness to them for the brave manner in which they had upheld the credit and honour of Xew Zealand, he would, whilst endorsing there* remarks, endeavour to break fresh ground. It might pes-ibly be news to some of those present that he liad spent his younger daye in South Africa. He liad been amongst the. Boers, had eaten in their houses, and liad been over much of the country that the contingent had traversed. At the time hostilities broke out .he had a sister at Johannesburg, who had written him most graphic letters, describing what, was going on in that part- of the world —how, with her husband and -family, she had been compelled to leave her home, and seek refuge in Capetown. He had another eister'in the eastern province, and had many connections all over the country traversed by the contingent. In addition, he had twenty-seven nephews ofi connections fighting in the South African 'war. (Applause.) One nephew , 'received his commission on Spion Kop for conspicuous bravery, whilst a- volunteer eergeant in one of the Natal infantry regiment?. A nephew of his sister's husband wae in command of a body of colonials, and was shot when carrying a- white flag to" some Boers who had professed to lay down their arms. They Would, therefore, understand that he took a very keen interest in what was going on in £outh --urica when the war broke out, and elso why he had felti disposed to take- a part in assisting thei War Committee in sending the Third Contingent to the front. Mr Stead then narrated several anecdotes in connection with 1851. The frontier town in -which he lived was barricaded with «and bags cc a means of defence against- the Kaffir attacks. The children and women were put into the cathedral every night whilst the fighting continued, and he himself, time and again, had seen the dead bodies of townsfolk he knew brought into town to fee buried. He had seen the wounded, many of them his father's friends, brought

in, and saw them in their suffering and recovery. They could, therefore, understand why he had taken the warmest interest in the doings of our fellow-colo-nista in South Africa. Speaking of those earlier troubles in South Africa, Mr Stead raid he had often, in his younger and latter days, discussed the question of ■ bravery, and again the question was . discussed -when Canterbury's boya Trent to the front. He had often considered whether they would, hold their own with tlie Imperial troops. He called to mind an interesting example of the grit end nerve of a British officer. ' The stoTy had never appeared in print, but was absolutely true, and was told him nearly fifty years ago by a friend much older, than himself, who rode in the cavalry charge referred to, and who also heard what .was said by the cavalry officer*in question to the Commanding Officer of the British force. During the Kaffir war of 1846, at a. fight aft Gwanga, the first and only time that the, cavalry had a fair chance of pitting the sword against the assegai, the 7th Dragoon Guards cut the Kaffirs up most fearfully. The Kaffirs were under the chief Sandilli, and .the English force was under Colonel Somerset. The English troops were formed in the shape of a half-moon, the artillery and infantry in. the centre, and the cavalry on the two wings. During the cavalry charge a troop of the 7th Dragoon Guards, under Captain Sir Harry Daxrell, chairged right through the Kaffirs, and cut them up badly, but Sir Harry Darrell had the misfortune to be pinned to the saddhrby an assegai. - Thia so outraged .the'"beau sabreur" of the day that, with the assegai shaft quivering behind him, he rode back to where the Colonel was standing, and, presenting his sword, «tid, "Colonel, I went out a British soldier, but I have come back a d a porcupine." The Colonel, reaching ove,r, drew cut the assegai, and replied, "Now, Captain, I-have made you a British soldier again." Had time permitted he could liave given many incidents of endurance and pluck on the part of colonials. •He was .proud to say that every;

statement heaird. and every account received of their doings, was to the. credit of "our boys" in every respect. (Hear, hear.) He did not for one moment, in tend eaying that "our boys" were betteff than the Imperial troops, but he raid that in evctry respect they were equal to the Imperial troops, end no man could ask for higher praise than that he is equal to (lie flower of the British army. (Applause.) , ■ Mr Humphreys said he had never done anything in his life that he took such pride in as his share in sending the Third Contingent to the front. When they were sent away things looked dark for the Old Country, and it was not the material help given by the Contingent, that was so considerable, but the moral effect on the British public and the demoralising effect on the Continentals, who at that time were taking every opportunity of attacking the Old CountryThe effect • on" the Home 'people of the despatch of colonial contingents was tremendous, and during his visit to England whilst the war was in progress, lie had but to mention that he had taken in sending the Third Contingent to the front, and it acted as a passport and gained him the entree to many places which he would otherwise have had much difficulty in getting to. A great deal was being said at present' on the subject of the introduction of Chinese labour into South Africa. When the Contingent left they never thought of receiving any reward afterwards, nor felt in any wav that they were going to take part in the affairs of South Africa. Their services were simply a gift to their country. He thought it very ungracious that "the very opposite view had been thrown in the teeth of the British Government, and for >t now to be raid:—"We gave you as much help, and have a right, to have come say in the control of South Africa." He hoped all the members of the Contingent would disown that view and stand up and declare that their services in the war were a- perfectly free gift, and that the people of South Africa should be left to attend to their own affairs. {Hear, hear). This aspect of the matter had animated him very strongly when reading the discussions on the matter in the Australian and New Zealand newspapers, and he was glad that an opportunity had arisen when be could "get it off his chest," and he was pleased that, lie had done so under such auspicious circumstances. . MrHarris said that his connection with the committee had given him almost the greatest pleasure in his life. He paid.an euloci.vtic tribute to those njen who formed tne backbone of the country, and had come forward with the "sinews of war" and subscribed largely to the War Fnnd. Dr. Levinge. in his letter of apology, wrote that he. would have esteemed it an honour to have been present, and he was pie-red to note that steps were being taken to bring the Members together in social reunions where, they could recall their experiences and fijht their battles over again.

Mr Cotterill wrote that his small and; inglorious share in sending the Contingent would always recall pleasurable and never to be forgotten memories. The wor_; done by the Contingent in the field had increased tlie pride he felt in them as a body. Mr G. H. Swarm, chairman of the. Napier War Fond Committee, and Staff. aergeant-Major Coleman (one of the instructors at the Addiugtou Camp) also apologised for their inability to be present. Bugler Thorn, in an eloquent speech, proposed the health of Lieutenant-Colonel Slater, the Addington Camp commander. He referred to Colonel Slater's unfailing kindness towards the men under his charge, and to the thorough grounding in discipline that he instilled into them. As the result oFColouel Slater's training they hod left the Addington Camp as well equipped, as physically capable, and as well fitted to meet tho enemies of their country as any irregular corps that took part in the South African war. Colonel SlaNr, who was received with, applause, said he felt that no amount of preparation on his part would have enabled him to adequately reply to the remarks made by the proposer of the toast. He had looked at him with awe, and bad tried to recall the lad who had come and asked to join the Contingent. He could assure them that the three weeks he had spent in camp with them was one of the happiest periods of his life, and he had never had a better lot of men under him. (Hear. hear). He wa-» sure Colonel Jowrey found that they took that character to the war.* Colonel Jowsey: "And brought it back." Colonel Slater, continuing, said he had felt in the short time at his disposal to train them that the best thing to keep before them was discipline, and after his experience with subsequent contingents, he could say that none possessed the discipline that the Third possessed. Colonel Jowfey, in responding to the toast of his health, said on meeting "his boys" he felt they were like dear old comrades of his younger days; every man before him was a comrade very dear. In no single case had any order" of his been disobeyed by the contingent, nor the slightest hesitation shown in executing hie orders. As to following him. he only required to remind them of the charge at Orange Grove. General Malian had said to him afterward* that it was the finest exhibition he had seen in South Africa... He (Colonel Jowsey) told them this not btcause he had been in the front of them,, but because it was his contingent, and because .ie hoped to see it in print as - it ought to be. General Mnhan, General Pilcher, Colonels Robin and Craddock, had each gone out of their way to tell him that he had the finest lot of men sent from the colony. Trooper Knight proposed the "New Zealand Volunteers," which was responded to by Captain Rhodes. Lieutenant Rhodes, Mr Parkinson, and Mr Earnshaw. In resporse to Mr Stead's enquiry as to how many present were or had been volunteers, about twenty indicated that they had been 1.1 that branch of the service. The toast of "The Instructor" \ra.i proposed" by Mr Harper, and responded to in a felicitous speech by Staff-Sergeant-Major Jones, whose remarks were freely punctuated with applause. Referring to the doings of the contingent, he said that when fighting at Rhtnoster Kop they had opposed to them the most brilliant men in the Boer ranks. Two-thirds of Ben Viljoen's men on that occasion were lion hunters, and it was no small honour to beat men of that kind. Sergeant-Major Jones told some very amusing stories of his experiences in the Zulu war. The toast to the memory of comrades who fell was honoured standing, and the secretary read the names of those M-ho had been killed or died of disease. Other toasts honoured were:—"Absent Chums," "The Ladies," and "The Press." With reference to the toast of "The Ladies" special mention was made of tho services at camp of Ambulance-Sergeant •Mrs G. E. Rhodes and 3lra H. D. Buchanan. Before the gathering closed Mr Stead said he had a suggestion to make. Would they allow him to invite them to dine with him that night a year hence? He wished to invite all the Rough Riders, and all who were intimately connected with the. organising and despatch of the contingent. He asked whether the Thursday night before Good Friday or the Saturday afterwards was the more suitable.

There was a consensus of opinion in favour of the Thursday night before Good Friday, and Mr Stead's invitation was accepted amidst great applause. ' . - ; ■ • ~ Durrag the evening songs were contributed by Lieutenant Rhodes, Staff-Ser-geant-Major Jones,. Troopers McDonald and Macfarlane,*and Private Hobbs, of tha College Rifles, who also played the accompaniments, and a recitation was given by Colonel Slater. i i _