WITH THIS FIRST CONTINGENT.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 10633, 18 April 1900, Page 5

WITH THIS FIRST CONTINGENT.

THE TROUBLES OF A CORRESPQN- "-.' DENT. ,*.-,. -. SOUTH AFRICAN SQUALL. INVALIDED NEW ZEAI__NDERS. (FROM OTTR SPECTJVI, WAR CORRESPONDENT). iMilitary Camp, East of Modder River, March 3. Having witnessed the arrival at Capetown of tbe Second Contingent of the New Zealanders, and taken several interesting snapshots of ?the colonials, I proceeded to Kimberley with the object of rejoining No. 1 Contingent, the majority of whom had been resting. (Many horses had been rendered useless, and remounts were urgently required. These came to hand in good time, and as I journeyed from Capetown to Modder River, I learnt that the New Zealanders were again'on the march, but that nothing of importance had occurred. The Boers were entrenching themselves about thirty; miles' west of - Blcemfontein, and intended making a stand there. At Victoria West I was surprised to find portion of the Second Contingent encamped, and decided to leave the train, wait a few hours at Victoria West, take some photographs and proceed to Kimberley. The following day I learnt- that the New Zealanders would probably be sent to Carnarvon, a district lying north-west and removed many miles from any railroad, so there was every indication that th« Second Contingent would have their fill of forced marching. The rebels in Carnarvon were becoming troublesome, and required the presence of an armed force to keep them in check. After Carnarvon a move was to be made to Prieska, another disaffected district that apparently waa becoming troublesome. AN INTRUDER FIRED UPON. The previous night an alarm was caused, and the whole camp was soon armed and ready for action. Someone had approached : the New Zealand bnes during the night. He j was challenged by Trooper Neilson, of Dan--evirke, three times, but declined to halt and give the countersign. The New Zealandcr promptly fii cd, but discreetly pointed his carbino h'gh, and the shot flew over the affrighted stranger's head. Instantly the camp became active, and in a few minutes every New Zealander was ready and anxiously awaiting order*. The stranger managed to escape, but I question whether any other individual will endeavour 4» cross the New

Zealanders" lines without first taking the trouble to ascertain, the countersign.

Major Cradock informed mc that he was anxiously awaiting the arrival of the re- I mninder of his men, ns well aa the Hotchkiss Battery, and expected to move forward as j soon as these arrived at camp. i LORD ROBERT- AND THE PRESS. When I resumed my journey, the train, after reaching Orange River, was under military control, and necessarily slow progresswas made. We passed about 3000 of the Boer prisoners on their way to Simonstown, and I endeavoured to "snap" Albrecht, the artillery commander; but aa soon as he saw my object be quickly withdrew his head and closed the window with a bang. I saw the battlefields of Enslin, Grosspan, and Honeynest Kloof, and arrived at Modder River about five p.m., the train being three hours late. Another delay occurred here, and having, to report myself to tbe Press Censor, Major Neatley, 1 was compelled to remain at Modder for twenty-four hours. Lord Roberts bad issued instructions that Press representatives were not to go to the front unless specific orders were received from Lord Stanley, and I was, therefore, compelled to possess Hiv soul in patience. Protests were ineffectual, and' continual complaining would possibly have ended in my being sent down for a few weeks. 1, therefore, proceeded to find quarters for the night. Every place was> packed with officers. The only hotel had been taken over by Lord Methuen as headquarters for himself and staff, and tho only haven o frefuge apnea-red to be the Boer In'teniporarilv leaving tho No. 1 Contingent of the New Zealnnders, I had not. taken ■•my tent with mo. I decided upon another appeal to the hotelkeeper. He sympathised with me—poor fellow! He knew what military occupation meant —and at last consented to reserve the bar parlour for my use. Quickly I unroped my sleeping valise, and despite tho animated conversation of the hundreds at the bar. I was soon, fast asleep. Well, was it that I had a roof over my head that night. At- midnight a terrific etorm arose. Rain fell in torrents, the water coursing through tents with the fierceness of a rapid and flooding <sul the thousands under canvas. VISITING A BAITLUfFIELD.. Up at daybreak the following morning. I visited the'scene of the battle of Modder River, saw tlie farmhouse where tbe Highlanders bavonetted nineteen Boers for firing on wounded Britishers, and'the spot where the Guards made their gallant stand, then proceeded to tho bridge over the Modder destroyed by the Boers, and inspected the bridge constructed in nine hours by tho Royal Engineers, and over which tho trams still run. Lastly I visited the graves of aomo of the heroes" who fell at Magersfontein. including the last resting place of Lieutenant-Coloiwil Goodie-, Second Blackwatch (who, I believe, had several friends in New Zealand), Captain Carnegie, of the Gordon Highlanders, and over eighty .officers and men of the Black Watch, Gordons, Seaforth and Argyle Highlanders and 9th, Lancers. CAUGHT IN A STORM. Meeting an officer of tho Rimington Scouts I decided to ride across the veldt to Paardeberg, where General Cronje had made his last stand a few days before. We had covered about ten miles when suddenly tha sky was darkened with angry looking clouds,' thunderclap after thunderclap fol-' lowing each other in quick succession, sheet and forked lightning darted here and there, and we recognised that we were in for a South African thunderstorm. . Hastily dismounting, we endeavoured to find some place of shelter, but en the level veldt was impossible. My companion called attention to two small kopjes about throe miles distant, and as the first spots of rain fell we mounted again and urged our horses on. The rain fell in ono sheet, drenching us to the skin in a moment; but we made good progress until the rainfall ceased and bail commenced to drop from the inky clouds above. Faster and faster the stinging ball, of ice fell, until it was impossible to hold the reins. The horses, poor brutes 1 .topped, unable to face the awful storm, and with their heads sunk almost between their forelegs for protection, wheeled round and turned their backs to the fusillade. Our hands were bruised and bleeding, and our faces splashed with red dots where tho stones, larger than average-sized marbles, had struck us, but by crouching under the stomachs of tho affrighted horses, we managed to give hands and faces from further injury. For half an hour this storm raged, and as the hail ceased, and the rain began to fall again in torrents, we decided to return to Modder River. An officer rated us for disobeying orders in returning to the front without first consulting the Chief Press Censor, but as wo had thanks to the storm, I heard nothing further of tho matter. I subsequently learnt that a Canadian correspondent, representing four influential papers, had been sent to Capetown for a month for a less heinous offence. Modder River camp was simply flooded out. Horses had stampeded, oxen had wandered across the veldt, and for "a few hours confusion and discomfort reigned supreme. With almost Dutch-like stolidity, officers and men removed kits and set to work to put tents and surroundings in order, so that when the warm summer _un again burst forth the camp was in splendid order, and a visitor would never have known, that a few hour,s befortft-ents had boon flooded: and the whole camp a sheet of 'water. , THE BRITISH ARTILLERY. Reports came to camp that the Boers, or rather Dutch disloyalists, were congregaing about ten miles west; but every preparation waa mado to repel any sudden attack, a_4 wo felt perfectly secure against a second invasion. I witnessed the departure of two batteries of 15-pounders, which were intended to support the advance of General French's column, which was working towards Bloeinfontein, or north of that point. This must bring tlie artillery under Lord Roberts's command! to. over 112 guns; but so far as my limited experience of artillery' goes, the 12-pounders have been of very little use against the splendid artillery in the possession of the Baers, whose long-range guns have made sple_.__ practice. ~--;- ; VISITING THE SICK. ' Hearing that' several of tho New Zealand-: ers wore lying in hospital at Kimberley, having been brought there on, March 4th, I made a hurried visit to the diamond city, travelling in a railway truck from Moddfer River. I learnt also that i_ the interval Lord Roberta was waiting for? reinforcements, and that General French's col _ti»n, which included the New Zealanders, wa&Testing after the arduous, labours of the past fortnight, so that this sudden diversion of my plans was really the most practical mariner of -spending the interval. To my surprise; and deep regret. I found that the dreaded enteric fever had laid low six New Zealanders: —Corporal Symes, of Christchurch; Corporal Orbell, Otago Hussars: Trooper J. McConway, Marlborough; E. Burrows, Marlborough; G. Arnold. Clutha: and C. Edwards, Waverley; and that J. Hubbard, of Auckland, was suffering from rheumatic fever. > Some of the casos were described as serious, but the medical officer in command informed mc that the men were -of splendid physique and plucky. In company with Mr S. J. Pryor, managing editor of tho London "Daily Mail,' I paid a visit to tho American Consulate, and o-seovered Mr Julian Ralph, the well-known journalist, who had been invalided for a fortnight owing to an unexpected collision with a mule team. In return far a few unimportant favours conferred on Messrs-Pryof and Ralph, who have proved themselves true friends of the colonials at the front, thoy promised rrie that the wants of the Maorilanders would be an- ' ticipated as much as possible, and that they would see the New Zealand—, were provided with every comfort. FORCES FOR THE NORTH. While matters were in a rather qtjiescent state with Lord Roberts's column, lively scene* were being enacted between Modder River and north of Kimberley. Suddenly ' orders were received at the latter place tha*. i all available forces should be sent north- i wards from Modder River. All the avail- i abte men were entrained as rapidly as pos- f sible, special trains being run day and night at intervals of four hours, to convey the soldiers to their destination—unknown at the present time»to many, but I believe to- j wards Mafeking, where Baden-Powell and ' his small, but .allant, garrison have with-

stood the Boers for months. Batteries were transferred at. a few hours' notice, Ala-uns were placed in working order and lodged -on railway trucks in : a fow moments, infantry corps had struck tents and were paraded at Spvtfontoin and Maaersfontem in an astonishingly short space of time. an„ officers and men, after a short respite on the veldt, were ready for action. Ie was a splendid sight to watch the regiments prepare for action. Their mobility " under the circumstances wa3 nothing short of marvellous. The Northumberland Fusiliers were among the first to entrain. THE LATE TROOPER BURROUGHS.

Returning to town I was grieved to hear of the death of Trooper Burroughs, of 'Marlborough, who died at Kimberley Hospital on the 6th March. He was a very popular member of the Contingent, and his commander deeply regretted his death.