COLONIALS AT THE FROST.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 30, 5 February 1900, Page 2

COLONIALS AT THE FROST.

LETTER FROM A N.S.W. INFANTRY MAN.

The following interesting extracts are from a letter from one of the New South Wales Infantry, received by his brother, who is resident, in Auckland. The N.S.W. infantry are with Lord Methuen's division at Enslin, near the Modder River: — Our captain had great difficulty in getting us so far to the front, there being a great number of Imperial regiments behind us who are eager to be in the first line, and do not take kindly to our getting the preference over them. Our camp is on the ground where the battle of Enslin, better known as Graspan, was fought, in which so many naval officers lost their lives. The dead are buried just outside the camp. Nearly all the Australian troops are Here, under the command of Colonel Noad.of Victoria. 1 am not exaggerating when 1 tell yon that the N.S.W. infantry can knock spots oft'all of them at drill. On several occasions when the regiment has been exercised in the attack formation the Colonel specially! complimented our company, saying- that we did exactly what he wanted. The Imperial troops do not do any drill whilst on active service, so I cannot say how we compare with them in that respect, but in regard to physique we beat them all the time. The average height of the Britishers is about sft.sin, whilst our average is sft Sin. A battalion of the Gordon Highlanders are stationed here with us. They formed part of the brigadelthat was so terriby cut up at Magersfoutein. The Boers' position there is considered one of the strongest they have, and they must have had it strongly fortified long ago, yet the brigade were launched to the attack in quarter colmun —a terrible blunder on someone's part. The Boer trenches extend for six miles, and all along are wire entanglements. When once you get Into these you cannot easily get out again. The hills are about 500 feet high, and it would be cold-blooded murder to send infantry against, them. There is about aB much chance of my breaking into

the Bank of England as of our breaking through the Boer lines at- present. We shall have to wait until the siege guns that have been sent for arrive, and then shell the position until the trenches and all cover on the hills are blown away. We are about 12 miles from where the battle of Belmont was fought. It was there that 1 first saw the effect of the terrible Lyddite shells that the British are using. The sight- was cruel, and I shall not forget- it to my dying day. The Boer killed had not been buried, but were lyin* round about the hills. There were arms and legs and parts of bodies scattered all over the place, and amongst them were the remains of women and children. The stench was something frightful. The Canadians were left at Belmont to bury the dead, and they kicked up a terrible fuss about it, saying that- they had not been sent out as grave diggers. The Boers are close around us here, and we do not know what minute they may make an attack, though as the Kaffirs say that, the enemy are afraid of the cold steel of the Gordons, I don't think they will be game to have a go at us. On several occasions I have been sent out in charge of four men as an observation patrol. As this is dangerous work, volunteers are called for. We go out at. 5.30 in the afternoon, scour the country all around the camp, and return at daylight, never knowing what moment we may come across a body of the enemy, carrying our lives in our hands all the time-. It is not all beer and skittles being out all night in such rough country, but the nervousness soons wears off. The food we get is not up to Paris House style. For breakfast we have dry bread and coffee; for dinner soup, and the meat which has been boiled in it. Usually there is a couple of inches of fat on the soup, enough to make a fellow bilious just to look at it; yet I have never been in better trim in my life. On Christmas Day we had quite a banquet —corned beef and potatoes, and managed to get hold of a bottle of wine for each tent. We drank to the health of the dear ones at home with three time three. There are four Boer spies in camp, taken prisoners, and they are to be tried to-day. On the way through 1 visited the wounded at De Aar. Some of the poor fellows received frightful wounds from dum-dum bullets. Tlie British greatly under-estimated the strength of the Boers—that is the cause of all the delay. The enemy occupy, positions of remarkable strength. These will have to be devastated with heavy shell fire, and then we must shift the Boers with the point of the uayonet, which they dread very much. This is a frightful country —generally a dust storm every day, which leaves us like so many Red Indians. We reckon that when Lord Roberts gets out he will make the Boers pay dearly for the death of his son.