TROOPERS' LETTERS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 105, 4 May 1900, Page 5

TROOPERS' LETTERS.

■ Mr W. R. Ke.ssell, of St. George's Bay, Parnell', has received a letter from his son, Trooper J. R. Kessell, of the New South Wales Mounted Infantry. The letter is written from Kimbor'ley on the 13th March. The following is an extract: —

"We, the 400 of us, had our first baptism of fire last Tuesday, when we succeeded in preventing a bigflank attack on Roberts' army. During the engagement we lost 15 of our number. I had several narrow shaves; one man next to me was shot in the arm, and while retreating my horse was grazed. We joined Roberts late that evening and took part in the battle next day. E'ruger and Steyn, the Presidents., watched the fight; Steyn wanted to give in, but Krnger would not. We convoyed some sick and wounded as well as some prisoners to Kimbe/rley. A Russian Colonel was under my charge. On the march we halted on the very ground where Cronje was surrounded. The sights were appalling in their originality and awfulness. The smell and stench was almost unbearable, and along }he river bank were the blackened remains of the equipment of his army. You may read of war or talk of it, but it is incomprehensible to those i who have not seen it. My travels so far in S.A. and also in N.S.W. convince' me that there is no place like N.Z. Do you know what our lifel out here is like? Two or three biscuits a day, and if you are lucky a little I btslly beef two or three days in the ;Vveek with bad water."