THE RELIEF OF KIMBERLEY.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 10636, 21 April 1900, Page 8

THE RELIEF OF KIMBERLEY.

COURAGEOUS NEW ZEALANDERS.

Mrs Grieve, a daughter of Mr Garden, Clinton, Otago, and a sister of Mrs Wm. Hume. St. Albans, Christchurch, writes from Kimberley on February 23rd: "Your letters October, November, and December, and English mails to hand, and surely it has been a real letter day for Kimberley, some people getting as many as 34 letters yesterday. As you all are so terribly anxious concerning us, I will not attempt to give you details of the long and wearisome siege. That must be done later, when I have recovered my mental balance. Just now we are all feeling shaken and disordered, and my thinking powers will not be in working order till my nerves are steadier. You will have heard the welcome news of the relief of Kimberley by the brave General French and his men, who scared and killed the enemy from our very doors almost. Captain Patterson, of the Australian Horse, was first to ride up to our redoubt on Thursday evening, February 15th, bringing the glad news of our safety. We had been in shelter underground for "over four days that time, leaving ovr home in terror of the Boers. That must be told later. We clambered round Captain Patterson, women and children alike, and would have hugged him had his uig Australian horse not been so bigh. The horse came in for the hugging instead. We patted and caressed it, and cheered him to the echo. The following morning I returned to my home, and on Friday had a cleaning day. Saturday I entertained six of the brave New Zealand boys, and cave them tea. Their names are Sergeant Edgar Hazlett, son of Mr James Hazlett, of Dunedin: Trooper Amos McKegg (Henley), Corporal Wm. Grant (Dunedin), Trooper McConway, from the Middle Island — a stranger, h_t t! a fine chap—Trooper Geo. Mitchell, of the Clutha, and Trooper Johnstone, of Kaihiki. A 3 you may well imagine. I was almost off my head with excitement at seeing faces from home, and hear people speaking in the New Zealand tongue. They all looked a raggety-tag crew, but thorough warriors and gentlemen, and have done splendidly, General French complimenting them twice for their pluck. They. of course, have thrilling tales to tell, and that ride of theirs to Kimberley was a ter-

rible one. ! On the Sunday Mitchell rode up to my door with a leg of mutton (loot), and what a treat it waa. A leg of mutton never was, and never will be, appreciated again like it. My friends in the house and out of it had a taste. We did have a dinner ! My boys have been away from home in camD, and as the Town Guard is not yet disbanded, we have no idea when we shall all be living in peace and plenty again. . . Love to alt our friends who have shared in the anxiety of our circumstances, and have sent ns relief from my home country. Tell them all I am so proud of my country now, when our young New Zealanders are among the first to relieve Kimberley, and then to show such consideration for mc as to bring mc a leg of mutton. May they all meet with a rich reward, as their courage and gallantry deserves, and earnestly we say, "Advance New Zealand!"