THE AUCKLAND TESTIMONIAL TO BADEN-POWELL.

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

THE AUCKLAND TESTIMONIAL TO BADEN-POWELL.

(r&SSS ASSOCIATIOX TELEGRAM.) .-• AUCKLAND. October 12. Mr J. W. Sbackelford. Hon. secretary to the Baden-Poweli Testimonial Fund,' has

received a letter from Major-General Baden Powell, expressing Iris appreciation of "th generous manner in whick the people 'o Auckland propose to show their upprecia tion of the manner in which we in Mafekin; tried to do our duty-." He continues— "I feel most unworthy myself of beins singled out to be the recipient of so hand some a present, when I w;is only one of j btuid of men with whom I am very prom to have been associated. Therefore, in ac cepting these marks of your approval, ] do so as the figurehead of the garrison, ani in their behalf 1 desire to tender to yoi and to . the generous contributors "" ii Auckland our "heartiest gratitude for you goodwill and your very handsome way o showing'it. I cannot'tell you with wha interest and pleasure I look forward to ie eeiving the escritoire and casket—not onl; on account of their intrinsic beauty, bu" also on account- of the local interest 'attach ing to them, and of the generous feelinj whk-h 'has prompted their despatch, j shall always regard them as a tie be-tweer Mafeking, our distant cousins across th< sea. and myself. 1 only hope my goot fortune may some day (bring mc to yovsi country, and enable mc to express in per son the gratitude I cannot adequately pul on paper." In a letter addressed to the editor of thf "New Zealand Herald," Major-General Baden-Powell acknowledges the receipt oi a copy of the piper describing the rejoicings on the relief of Mafeking. "I have also," he says, "received a very large number of letters and cables from well-wishers in the colony which I am trying to answer, but as many mails for mc as well as from mc have been captured by the enemy, I fear that a number of kind sympathisers will have thought mc wanting in courtesy and gratitude in not writing to them. I trust that you may be inclined therefore to help mc make known to them the reason of my apparent neglect, as I have been most anxious to express my heartfelt gratitude, and that of the garrison of Mafeking, for all the generous good feeling displayed toward us."