NEWS, NOTES AND CUTTINGS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 186, 7 August 1900, Page 8

NEWS, NOTES AND CUTTINGS.

(VIA ENGLAND.)

A TERRIBLE MARCH WITHOUT

WATEE.

LIKE A BIVOUAC OF DEAD MEN.

The following is the close of Mr Jack Stuart's inarch with Mahon to Maf eking: Those of us who knew what was before us (on reaching Maretsani) were also anxious about (he says) the 23 miles without water which had to be crossed—and quickly crossed if we were to meet Colonel Plumer, as was intended, and march on Mafeking in conjunction with him. At 3.30, when we 'started, the day was already run and the sun was sullen. .The excitement of battle had worn off, and we were all dull. Everyone wanted to speak about wounds. The animals walked, and did not care if it snowed green, poor, patient brutes, or else they raised bitter laments before high heaven. For eight miles we climbed a tedious sandy hill; for eight rao.iT miles the road was sandy, and just as tedious, but not quite so steep. I remember one queer effect: as our left flank scouts cantered towards the sky line of a certain hill the sun was setting in an acreage of fierce crimson. They reached the sky line, and suddenly seemed to disappear into the sunset. By the way, how is it that even the best scouts ride up to sky lin#s except when they foreshadow •danger?

LIKE A BIVOUAC OF DEAD MEN.

At 10 o'clock we outspanned till 1. One of the few wakeful men who was not doing outpost said that the bivouac was like a bivouac of dead men. From 3 till 5.30 we marched, with frequent rests, over desolate sand and annoying nodules of grass, over country that seemed a sinful waste of good surface. At every rest girths were slackened. I went flankwards from the column each time, and lay on the ground and slept till the whistle blew. Then I damned the whistle and mounted; far too weary to dream of leading the equally weary horse. I rather fancy I did not care if he died, so long as he got me to Jan Massibi's, I had another to ride into Maf eking. Once I went to sleep on his back, he edged out to the right of the column, and struck a of flankers, one of them a merry soul from Samoa, Hongkong, Canton, Alaska, Klondyke, anywhere. He woke me, tmd told appalling stories till their .mere cumulative effect made me laugh. As it grew light the desire for a pipe came'on me. But ere I could get a smoke interesting, matters were afoot. We saw lights—fire lights; too irregular, we thought, to be military. Boers? \ Plumer? A TEKEIBLE NIGHTMAEE. Major- Karri Davies had caught and passed the scouts. At the river between us and the stadt he met.more,, scouts*. ! They joined ours. We had struck iii the happiest hour and manner on Plumer. Our advance took the remainder of the ground at a gallop. You should have seen the horses draw in the water on the Molopo bank.

I think: of that march as a terrible nightmare. One thought of words for it and found none. A musician might have madle a nocturne of it. It was dull,-it slow, it was tiring. To the animials it was painful. The loud complaints of the mules made the sullen moonlight terrible. The silence of the men 'was even more terrible. And the sharp, monotonous "siss" accompanied and prolonged your undefined sensations. Bemote and distant evenjEfroua their own remote distance, whicli we know, the unthinking stars looked down. Here and there a kooran was Htartled to quick fire and rapid flight, or the plover4>f the country would scream its plangent "kevichi." We were like creattires performing a doom in the grey fields of Hades.

NOTABLE EXAMPLES TO THE

EMPIRE.

Everything has turned out well, but I cannot forget that we all went out of Burkly West knowing that ifwas quite probable we would never return.; ... I shall always look back

to Mianon's march as the happiest fortnight in my life. The bond of comradeship was very strong in the coluirin. Every man knew the importance \oi the enterprise in whi'cli he was en/gaged, and behaved in accordance With the responsibility one feels when great events are,afoot. Our work was ejnded at four o'clock on the morning offl May 17, but these things will endure)

Mahon antl His men have established a. handsome^ record; they have done more to strengthen their own and one another's pluck, and they have shown a notable example to the whole Empire. So here's to them, with three times three, 4.nd one more for Mahon, for . they deserve all the cheers you can give theni.