WITH THE FIFTH CONTINGENT.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 10786, 13 October 1900, Page 8

WITH THE FIFTH CONTINGENT.

THE JOURNEY TO CROCODILE POOLS. CANTERBURY ENGINEERS AT WORK. THE GREAT TASK OF PLUMER. (TBOH OTTB SPECIAL WAB COBBESPONSXNT WITH THE COVTT-VGEXT.) CROCODILE POOLS, August 21. After starting from the last camp, on the return journey from Tuli, the 14th Canterbury Company was ordered to make straight for Buluwayo railway station, where the troops entrained for Mafeking, just two hours kter than a portion of the 4th New Zealanders. The men were packed into roadside waggons, each of which was made to carry from 20 to 25. Ten could have found room enough, and all the comfort they were foolish enough to expect.

The horses were put into closed-in trucks, and had to be watered twice a day, from nosebags filled at the railway tanks on the

line. The bags had to be passed between the bars at the top of the trucks. After spending two days, of which most of the time at the stopping places was occupied in feeding and watering the horses in a most unsatisfactory way. and two nights huddled up like dogs amongst riding saddles, sacks of com and niggers (officers' orderlies, cooks, etc.), the Company arrived at Crocodile Pools, about 80 miles from Mafeking. Here we were met by an officer of the Royal Engineers, bearing an order to detrain half the Company to'protect the place. The remainder were ordered on to Lobatai, 38 milee further south. Parties of Boers were reported to be "rftir'g northwards, and it

was supposed that they would come in at; either of these places for water, and to deetroy the railway bridges, which have only just been repaired since Plumer's erigageI ment, -but it has since been reported here that the main bodies have all been turned \ back on Zeerust and Mafeking. PLUMER'S FORTS AT CROCODILE POOLS. It was at this point tfiac Plumer met with liis first serious resistance on the march to the relief of Mafeking. The Boers built strong forts, threw up breastworks, and dug rifle-pits on every mound and kopje within from 800 to 3000 yards. Plumer's men did similar work, only much moi-e of it, . on the kopjes on the opposite side of the I mil way station, and it was amongst these that he was held for m> many weeks by flic enemy. After dislodging them from their strongholds on the other side, .he i gradually worked down and built a fort, J and dug rifle-pits on a Hat beliind the rail- j way station. From here he managed to J push on through Lobaki. CANTERBURY ENGINEERS. At Crocodile Poo.'s our men were set to work under direction of a captain of the Royal Engineers, to make rifle-pits, bombproof shelters, etc. At Lobaki the other part of the squadron wsre employed making breastworks, and fixing up telephone ! communication from one kopje to anotxier. But as the latter post was a difficult one to mm with any strength, the staff in Mafeking, when they found that there was a probability of its being attacked in force, ordered its immediate evacuation, and so tiiis portion of the Company retired on to the other body at Crocodile' Pools. From here the whole was ordered to take to the kopjes previously held by Plumer. These are some* 2000 yards to the north of the railway station, and command approach to the railway line and especially to the bridge which was destroyed by the Boers in January. All hands have been at work, digging rifle pits, throwing up breastworks, and mounting guns. A detachment of No. 12 Company, under Lieutenant Tuckey and Sergeant Hurley, are in ciuirge of a Hotchkiss used during the siege of Mafeking, and one Maxim. Forty B.S.A. Mounted Police, who formed part of the garrison during the siege, arrived on the 14th with two Maxims and two seven-pounders. On the 27th we were again reinforced by forty of the A.T.R. Battery with two 15-pounders and two Maxims. All these guns have been mounted under direction of Captain Philips, R.E., on the kopjes. The force now stationed 1 here is under command of Colonel Maners-Wood, third in command of Lord Carrington's staff. Captain Philips is chief in command of the jntns.

Now that tie Boers have been turned back on to Zeerust and Mafeking, the troops here are naturally anxious to move on to I where they will have some chance of doing ; some actual fighting. The brilliant work done by the other companies of their contingent has done nothing to lessen this desire as may be imagined, and the delight and excitement on hearing the news was not unmixed with chagrin about not being in the thick of it with them. A COMPLIMENT TO THE COLONIALS. In conversation with a Boer warrior who has just recently handed in his arms, I learn that the Boers have rather a contempt for Tommy Atkins's mode of fighting. He comes out into the open, and is a fair ! mark, but "you foreigners from New Zeai land and Australia" dodge from rock to rock, from cover to cover, and beat them on their own ground. He also admits that no Dutchman will face the bayonet. BAYONET ACCIDENT TO SERGEANT STRONG. Some days ago a rather serious accident happened to Sergeant Strong. An order %vas given to mount guard with fixed bayonetc. The sentries, on coming from their posts, left their rifles lying near their sleeping ground, and while going round to wake the relief, the Sergeant had the misfortune to strike a bayonet which was lying with its point over the bank of the trench inside tlie fort. The bayonet entered on the inside of the left; shin a few inches above the top of the boot, went through the leg at a considerable angle, coining out in the thickest part of the calf. The,' wound was temporarily dressed, ami Strong was taken to the Maieking hospital on the armoured train, which comes in every morning to escort the troop and passenger trains through to Kimberley. Trooper J. Grofski and Bugler Chegwin have also been sent on to Mafeking hospital, the former suffering from internal injuries and tbe latter from a poisoned arm supposed to be the result of a bite from a poisonous insect, probably a scorpion or centipede. THE OFFICERS. The following is an up-to-date list of officers and non-commissioned officers of the C. Squadron: —In command, Colonel Maners-Wood, Captains Philips (senior) and Currie, Lieutenants Bailey, Whyte, and McMillan, Sergeant-Major GTfendinning, Quarter-master Sergeant Manson, Sergeants Watt, Strong (injured), ill, Percy, and Hight, Corporals Cox, Chaplin, Jones, Vidal, and Andrews, Lance-Corporals Hanson, Hardey. Lunn. Kain lias resigned and is now a trooper.