THE SIXTH CONTINGENT.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 95, 23 April 1901, Page 5

THE SIXTH CONTINGENT.

VOYAGE TO THE CAPE

(■Star" Special Correspondena.)

POET ELIZABETH. March 15

To continue our voyage to South Africa in tlie good ship Cor.'wall 1 must start from Albnuv. An imfort.u-

nate affair took place there just bofore tlie last ferry steamer left the short-.

One of our men, who was a Utile the worse of drink, and was being brought to the wharf by one of our own corporals and picquet, was stopped by a sergeant of a Southern company. Some words followed, as an outcome of which our comrade struck the sergeant, which is a very serious offence according to military law and can be punished by a long term of imprisonment with hard labour. However, he was put into the guard room and brought before Col. Banks the next morning to answer to the charge laid by the sergeant, with the result thai he was dismissed from the service and put ashore about 3 p.m. He had bad luck. He had a couple of lesser charges against him earlier on the voyage, and 1 suppose they were taken into consideration against him. All the Auckland boys felt it very much, and very quickly raised a collection for their mate, and, with the wages already due to him, raised enough to take him to any port that he should wish to go to. We gave him a good cheer, and then, the pilot being on board, weighed anchor about 3.30 p.m.

Saturday, 16th February: As soon as we were clear of the Heads we '•planted" a horse, and from that onwards we had beautiful weather until ihe evening of the 4th March, when the wind began to vise, and early on the morning of the sth it was BLOWING A GALE, and the sea became very rough, the vessel rolling about a great deal. Horses commenced io go down all over the ship, and at 1 p.m.. just as we were all sitting down to dinner the sea got so rough that we received the order. "Every man stand to his horse." .Just at that moment an extra heavy sea struck the vessel, and it would have done oue good to see the mix-up that took place in'the mess rooms—son]), meat, beans, potatoes, tea and men, in one glorious confusion on the floor, sliding from one side to tlie other, with utensils bumping about al! over the place. Eventually everyone got to his horse and helped him to keep his feet. It is sui*prising the confidence that a horse has in ni,an in a case of this sort. T am sorry to say that several accidents happened during a couple ol hours of the afternoon, one Auckland trooper, E. Wooler, geltir.g his hand

'split badly, having to have six stitches put in it. Another man got his dies! hurt very much through getting bumped against a pillar, still another having his shoulder put out, and one of tho fnrriers cut his brow by i falling, and hod to get three stitches put in. Tbe gale nnd sen went down about G p.m., and the horse-; were fed and made comfortable for the nis*ht. The Auckland company lost their second horse in this blow. On the Gth March A TFO-OF-WAR was arranged between "the five Companies on board. Nos. 16, Auckland. 17 Wellington, IS Wellington. 19 Canterbury,. 20 Otago Companies being the competing teams. On lots being drawn. Canterbury got the bye. Auckland v. Otago, Wellington Ist. v. Wellington 2nd. Auckland won their pull in 14min.. Wellington in about .'! mins. Second round: Auckland got the bye. Wellington defeated Canterbury in 7m. 30s. Then cam" the tug- 0 f f] ie day. Auckland v. Wellington. Betting wa.s brisk, several taking all the money they could get that Auckland would be defeated, and Auckland taking all they could get. All the officers were on deck to see that everything was fair and straight, and the signal to he'd being given, a bugle call to start, and then as good a pull as ever I have taken part in ensued. Wellington got the break on u.s, but could not last, or as oue of the officers said, they pulled us while we would go, but when we wouldn't go they found they were beaten. The pull lasted 12min. Ssec, and I for one was satisfied that it was quite long enough. The Auckland team consisted of the following: —Corporal D. Gallagher, G. Norris, Mason, MathieBon, Howe, Butler, F. Gladding. Kelly, G. Holden/Daley, A. S. Clarke. Entries were £1. per team, and the winners took the total. After the tug, Col. Banks invited both teams to the saloon, and after as much liquid refreshment as they wanted, also cigars, the teamfl united in singing, "He's a Jolly Good Fellow," and I think everyone on the boat thinks so too. ]

AYE SIGHTED LAND AT LAST on the Btb March, and rounded the Cape into Table Bay about 4 p.m. on Sunday, and dropped anchor an hour later in the stream. We were all anxious to land, but fate was against us. Early on Monday, 11th, the staff officers came out in a launch, but did not board us, because of the plague being in Capetown. They received our papers from Col. Banks, and returned to shore to communicate with tlie Commander of the port. They arrived back at the steamer about 2 p.m. with the news that we had to go on to East London to disembark and join General Bruce Hamilton's force somewhere thereabouts. At the same time that we received the news to sail, our Lieut. Sykes gotrvVord to leave us, to join his owu Company, prior to receiving his commission in the Royal Horse Artillery, England. We gave him some rousing cheers and our war cry on his departure from the ship. Everyone was sorry to lose him, he being a real good fellow, and he .was sorry to leave us so sbon. We could not take stores or anything else, not even papers to read from the Cape, but weighed anchor and steamed out of Table Bay at 3.30 p.m. While in port, another horse died, making 15 in all to the Cape. The rest of the horses appear to be getting tired of the trip, which is beginning to spin out to a rather long voyage. Billy Pitt came off to us at the Cape. He came over in the First Contingent. He used to be in the Per-

, laaneut Force at the North Shore, and is looking in great fettle. We arrived in East London at 10 p.m. on the 14th of March, aud got orders early on the 15th to disembark and go to the front at once, as the Boers were fighting 120 miles awaj-, where General Bruce Hamilton is engaging them. The Auckland Company is to be the first to entrain. Everyone is excited and ready to move. With any luck we should be in the fighting line tomorrow, March 16. (The Sixth Contingent did not stop to participate in the fighting in Cape Colony, but were carried by rail to Pretoria, 7her.ee to Pietorsburg. whero they now form a parr of Colonel Phun-