WITH THE CONTINGENT AT KARORI.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 10481, 20 October 1899, Page 5

WITH THE CONTINGENT AT KARORI.

A STROLL THROUGH THE CAMP. [By T_l-G-Ul_.J (FROM A J-IDV COBB-SPO-DENT.) WELLINGTON, October 19. A place of grassy lanes and garden-encir-cled cottages, all hemmed in by green bills that dip low at one point, and give a glimpse of blue harbour and distant purple ranges— a place of peace and "where time could take his ease and change hold holiday.' Here gone and broom fling wide

their scented golden treasures, and still in the bushed gullies linger some stars of clematis, and seme blood red rata. Here, too, amid clustering foliage, and under the greenest of turf, lie those whose ears are deaf to all pleasant country sounds about them, and whose busy hands are at mat. Bub now the drowsy peace of Karori has been broken. In | a wide green space close to the hills many tents have risen—large and small tents, conical and oblong, plain and frilled—and ever about these lento move busy figures, learning the arts of war. In thie quiet country bugles blow, bagpipes skirl, words of command rise sharp and clear, and perpetually up and down the road clatter mounted eol- ' dieraj for here the powers that be have fixed the camp of our Contingent, and- here our gallant troopers have spent a hard* week or two. "At any rate," says one military Mark Tapley, "the weather can't be woree in the Transvaal." . To begin with, the way to Karori is a choice of two evils. You may drive all the way by a curly narrow precipitous road that makes the nervous gasp, clutch their neighbours, and think of the convenient nearness of the cemetery, or you may drive half-way, clamber up steep steps along the edge of a crumbling cliff, and thus reach another -us that carries you to the camp. It was our fortune to have on one of our trips to the camp a bevy of the Pollard chorus girls for our 'bus companions. Dulness fled before their laughter and-chatter, and delight over the scenery—of whicn, as it was pouring with rain, they only caught glimpses now and then when the leather curtain flew aside. At times they would imitate the ball that rings up the theatre curtain, and make the grinning small boy on the step lift tUo flap. - Then we had scraps of chorus, end bits ox dialogue front "AH x»iiba," intereperssd with many ejaculations. presently, from the box seat came a voice inquiring tenderly after the health* of the girls, and asking if there were any men inside. "Two," came the answer. "Lucky dogs!" was the reply from the invisiDie one. At our next stop a sleek brown head with a forage cap, so ridiculously on one side that it s&enied to defy the la-we of gravitation, appeared inside, the docrf-liain. Tae trooper eyed the laughing girls with a. ibwinkle in hia eye. They told nim he would get sunstrokes, ana tnat he must guard Wβ precious ■health. His tongue was as smart as his appearance. . Wβ afterwards Jfiarat tJiat to? was a. captain, but) was so keen m going to the Transvaal that he had taken. <a> place in the ranks rather than stay behind. Only tluatt very moming he had had a friendly talk with the Commander, who, as the recruit was leaving hie tent, said— "This is the last time, old chap, we shaJl talk as officer to officer. In future it must be as officer ta private." "All right, JSirl" came tlie prompt reply, as the officer-private saluted hia Commatnder, and left the tent. It says much for the determination of the man that rather than forego his chance he is content to sink his rank. But this ia not a solitary instance. An elderly man, who had evidently been a soldier, eyed tho swagger of our trooper with some severity. "Can you ride?" said he, grimly. "A little," the trooper replied, winking wdckecßy at lihe chiow» 'girls. "No cavalry experience?" said the inquisitive one, ' ' "None," the soldier answered; "but I've a letter from the roaster of the hounds to say that I can go over anything." This point of rough riding seems to bewhere several volunteera 'have failed. It is whispered that one man made Its officer's hair stand on «nd by mounting on the wrong I side, and that another was about to put his wrong foot into the stirrup. A man who saw a number of those unfortunates who had been rejected passing out of the ranks, said it was melancholy to see their faces of chagrin and disappointment. It reminds one of Stewart Bowles's "Naval Mounted 'Orse":— "We followed up the leaders, We reckoned that was beet; Wβ got 'em in the centre, * An', tlie'orses done thereat." Only in this case the horses "did for" the volunteers in another way. It is to be hoped they will have a- fortnight's mounted drill at the Cape before proceeding to the front. It is still the opinion, not only of the public but of the officers, that the Contingent is not really ready to start, and that the question of being the first colonials in the field,,which is stated to be the reason for the hurry, is of email importance compared with, the advantages of another fortnight's drill. At present a want in drill and discipline is apparent in the camp. ARRIVAL AT THE CAMP. As our 'bus drew near the camp, the excitement of the girls knew no bounds. "There they are, looking out for us," they cried. "Oh, how lovely they look," The overcoated eoldient looked askance at us as we got down, first. . We evidently fell far ehort of their idea of chorus girl*; but we merely followed the merry band past the sentry tramping up and down the muddy field, and into the camp. Karori has another drawback, besides its road. Every gentle zephyr tint whispers round the Empire City blows a gale in Karori, and when a gale blows in Wellington—a* it occasionally does—language fails to describe its force in the suburb among the green hills. : The wind was howling like a maniac about the tents as we entered the camp. It was tugging at the ropes with fury, and wafting tins and such unconsidered trifles about like feathers. And such wind! The weather was too bad for drill, and only a few troopers were on duty. The rest were lounging about, or busy in their tents writing farewell letters, or polishing up their brasses for the social engagements of that evening. "It's quite puzzling how to manage," said one trooper with a corrugated forehead. "A chap has to be in half a dozen places at once." Finally ha decided to grace the Opera House first, and wind up by treading the light fantastic with the Women's Social and Political Leaguers. What it is to be a hero, if only in prospective! MERRY COMRADES. By dint of an appropriate and opprobrious weather remark, we found a guide, philosopher and friend, in a burly, fair-moustached trooper, who was quite willing to lead us round, and talk about the Contingent. He waa a Canterbury man, one of the farrier sergeants, and was earning 7s a-day. "and on ooard ship," he said, "that will be all saved money, so we'll have some pocketmoney wlien we get to the Cape. I hope we shall see service," he continued, 'Td aearly love to have a slap at those Boer Generals, and as for old Kruger—" evidently our sex debarred him from finishing his sentence, "We're a nice lot of fellows here," he said, piloting us through the.lines of tents through whose open doors peeped curious faces. "There are six in my tent, all from different places, and you couldn't wish better chaps to mes3 with. Music? I should say so. We've some splendid buglers, and two mcii can play the bagpipes. D'ye see that little chap with the note book in front of that tent? Well, he's Just grand with the pipes of an evening. Wβ gather in the big tent, and we have a concert. It's capital fuo. 'Lights out' at ten o'clock, and jolly glad we are to turn in, too, generally. Yes, it's a bit damp, but we've had such beastly weather. It's hard on the horses, poor beasts, and some of the men don't look after them as they ehould." By this time we had reached the long double row of horses picketted along the centre of the camp. They had a grotesque variety of covering, the favourite being the ordinary blue blanket, tied in a degage way with a wisp of white rag round the animal's tail. Some were without covering*, aod appeared to feel tba keen, blast and the driving rain. It seemed to Uβ that the poor horses had considerably the worst of it—all the kicks, in the way of hard work, discomfort, and the possibility of being shot; none of the ha'pence in the shape of present and futuro gJory. One can imagine haw reproachfully a horse who had been taken from comfortable country quarter* and given to

the Contmgent would Lave eyed Ma fora* master lta/ ho visited tbe camp. SOME MEMBERS OF THE CON TXNGENT. But bcro \f& caaw across a row of mm "steading nice in line." Variegated t*r% were as yet in apparel, for Uie new unjforo* will not be ready till Saturday. One rose wore aggressive tartan trousers. The nyi; were lined-up. before » Pile of saddlery; juat emptied from bag packing cases, and tli» smell of new leather was strong m ttw> air. "Get a splendid fejfc here, ■ *;ud our friend -• "JEveiytbing you need. Way, you coul>' coma into camp naked and bs rigged out from top to toe. I brought «. pile o* thing* wife.'» mc, but I'm. going to send them back. Thei« isn't aoy iw»d loading yywaeU up with bat? gage." Winding through. the camp two days before, we bad come upon the ne&d veterinary surgeon examining horses, a deep frown oo its brow «s became om oa whose decision might rest tbe life or death, of a man. 4 red-faced trooper was running the animal* up and down, and Colonel ronton "with. b»» .little daughter, both on horseback, was supervising the business. The veterinary lieutenant, who is going with the fbroaa, cornea of a family of soldiers, some of whom are already in the Tmsrvaal. There ar» men in the ranks -who know South Africa. A big, pleasant-faced fellow was pointed out to lie aa one -who had been long in the Transvaal, and who for thirteen yeaa-s itaa bees ia the gold esoort in New South Wales, Close by was the Commander's teat, and stepping over *iae canvas barrier, -we found oursohres among tihe «nost curious mixture of camp belongings—a candle on. ft.4»yo»rt stuck in tlhe ground, telegraph forms, and a treitisß on typhoid iaver, were side by aide Tvitth trappings and. accoutrements. Tfto owner of tiho establishment, however, waa spick and spam, keen-eyed, and pleasant faced, a *ype of a British soldier; but his time was too valuable, we knew, to bo wasted, and after a brief ahab we went <w our way. , ILLUSIONS DESTROYED. It is said that constantly one's flluaions eet shattered. The flag tiiat enthttsiastio oitiiens axe getting made will never fioat, per tftio heads of our New ZeaJaiufers, and never be brouffh* back tattered; and stained witi tS» life blood of the gallant standard bearer wfto carried it to victory and died with, it wrapped aroucd -hurat. * Wβ !hear-T-O>li! degenerate times—fehat it will be posted back to the Bisliop of Wellington to be ihung in tifce Caiihedral, for. flags are not carried in t. mounted infantiry Corp?. Anotiher reform *liat is to be instituted Jβ to shear the men of most of their braeen glories. "Why!" said an officer earnestly, "every shining button would be a heliograph to the enesmy, so off they all have to con*?. Even the white faced (horses will be a umb," Wβ. diffidently suggested paintihig t3ie ■wtiite blazes over; but he eaid decidedly -ttbafb tihe owners would ihjive to keep then* to tihe rear. ■■■"■■.■■■ •.-' ■' ■;.• .-.••.. • We wiere told that itss likely thataoon after landing at the Cape the officers' swords mar be exchanged for tie carbine, and they wii go armed as the men. DINNER IN CAMP. Near the entrance is th-e oook-house, which consists of a roof and some flapping side*. The task of cooking for all these men must bo an onerous and jvery unpleasaoit one, for the day vra were there the pungent wood smoke almost hid the cooks, and the fires were rebelliously blaming anywhere but under the great cauldjons. The bugle blew a cßeery call, and instantly there was a hungry etir [a th« oamp. Tenia gave up their occupante, all with can and knife and fork in hand, as with laughter and chaff tUoy made their way to the long mess tent, where on the white-scrubbed tables they took their dinner. The busy cooks ran to aod. fro, obeerily whistling anu singing. Some men who bad been feeding their Horses, finished their drill, and except in the mew tent there was Jiardly anyone to be seen. AN ENTHUSIASTIC! VOLUNTEKE, After dinner we accosted a wandering trooper. "Are you very glad to go?" w« asked, ; ■ "Bather," said the boy. "It , * a glorious chance; besides, Tve a good billet waiting for mc there after, if I don't get ft bullet in mc," he added. .'■'■" "But what about your people?" w» : ifr quired. < Hie wigto) face. felL "Adi, ye* Jtfe jolly hard on them. You *cc, when wry mother let mc go, she thought the war Wpuld never be declared, and that it meant a trip to Wellington, that's all; and,npw they're all coming up from the South to sty goodbye, and, ay Jove! ifc s rough on a feJW," We changed the subject by asking aftpr the new uniforms, and he grew agafn enthusiastic, and his face lit up anew. A STIRRING SCENE. But it was time to go. We had Mea tM camp in brighter weather, when over tbe green turf wore scattered companies of mm, some on foot, otliera a-horse—drilling, dl»----mounting, scrambling up hills and down dales, and skirmishing along-the hedges from the top of the hill. We had watched the smaH gi-ey-brown figures, witihi their brasi end silver flashing bock the mtn. Outeide, tbe road was thronged with people who had 00 passes to enter. Officers and orderiiaf gftl* loped here and there, and quick, iucM?e orders reached us. It was » pretty gigbt> and one almost forgot that under it lay mob a grim purpose. As tiio girls, armed with troopers' canes and, flowere, crowded into th* 'bus, they were loud in their praiaea of the hospitality they had received, and ftJmoet tearful in their faa-ewells to the group of men Avliom they left behind. They baa collected trophies in the shape of brass letters, denoting some of the companiee repraieni«d in tho Contingent, and one girl had seemingly spent her time in cutting button* off a tunic. How t*je poor owner would wnoeal his paps it is diiaicult to say; but, perhaps, in tue plentitudo of a soldier's kit, wfetypine are included. "Good-bye, Tottie. Keep that button in memory," said a sentimental young troopet as we climbed into the 'bus. : l "I'll wear it in my dresa in the corn and poppy ballet tc-night," the girl eead, sweetly. "Look out for mc, Teddy, Tm the second poppy on the right in the front row. And sure enough, at the Opera Hoitfe jin the evening, as the sscond poppj , on the right pirouetted and gyrated) we coold «w the magic letters of a military shoulder «tl»p flashing in the limelight. , 1 Amid chatter and laughter, and farew©l«> the 'bus at length moved off, lwing » c camp-among the green hills and the men who, careless and merry t!bough '-hey eeemed, were no doubt imbued with an earneet dewre .to raUy round the flag, and,: fighting lor Mother England, show what the., CouM on aa "soldiers of the Queen."