THE SIXTH CONTINGENT.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 10862, 11 January 1901, Page 5

THE SIXTH CONTINGENT.

Mr G. N. 0-esswell, who. for the past nine years, has been a member of the Elite Brass Band, and who left on Monday for Wellington as a member of the Sixth Contingent, was given a send-off by the Band at Lyttelton.

The North Canterbury Riflss gave a social entertainment at tlie hall, Tuahiwi, on Tuesday in honour of the three departing members of the corps for South Africa. On Wednesday the members of the corps assembled at the" Rangiora railway station, under Lieutenant Uru. to send off Troopers J. Duncan, 0. Mehrtens, and W. -Marshall. Cheers were given for the men as the train moved from the station.

Prior to his departure from the Oust for South Africa, Trooper C. G. H. Cooper was on Tuesday evening the recipient of a presentation consisting of a silver-mounted pipe and silver-mounted riding cane. The usual toasts were proposed and good wishes expressed ; Mr J. Forbes presiding. On Monday afternoon the members of the Rangiora Rifles, under Captain Helmcre, assembled at the Rangiora railway station to bid good-bye to Lanoe-CorporeJ D. Mehrtens and Private T. H. McDowell and W. Payne, members of the company, who have offered for African service. The band was present. The Mayor, Mr A. B. Blackett, addressed a few words to the troopers. There was a large gathering of the public, and hearty cheers were given as the train bringing the men to town moved from tho station.

Many friends assembled on the Ashburton platform on Tuesday morning to bid goodbye to Trooper E. Willis, who went to South Africa with the Third Contingent, and who was invalided home about three months ago, having arrived in the Wakanui. He hitbeen spending the three months with his parents in Ashburton, and is now returning to tho scene of hostilities as one of the Sixth Contingent*. He left Ashburton on Wednesday morning in order to pay a visit to Meadowbank, at the kind invitation of SergeantMajor Rhodes, of the C.V.C., and Mrs "Rhodes.

Messrs Basil Stephens (of the Union Bank. Ashburton), Percy White (of the Bank of Australasia, Ashburt-on), Mr Gray (Greenstreet), T. Brown (Mount Somers), and E. Price (Ashburton), who hava volunteered as members of the Sixth Contingent, have gone to Wellington to pass the riding and shooting testa. Lieutenant M. Jones, of the Studhclme Mounted Rifles, has been ..elected as cue of tho Canterbury volunteers who go to South Africa to take the places of the invalided and deceased New Zealanders of tlio campaign. He will ba much missed by his comrade troopers, and shows his determination to do all ha can in the service of Queen and Empire in leaving his large farm and newlylnadc. homa in this district. Several Waimate young men have oU'erad themselves for acceptance in the Sixth Contingent now preparing for departure at Wellington. Amongst them, three brother;., Rippengale, of Waimate, and sons of _>ir A. Rattray and Mrs J. Rattray, of the Hook.

Our Wellington ...respondent telegraphs that fourteen horses for the Sixth Contingent were brought up by the Tarawera yesterday.

By. the l-ot-Tmuliana last 7-in.te.n horses for ths Sixth Contingent were sent to Wellington. . _ j . (rEESS ASSOCIATION TE-...C-. AM.) WELLINGTON, January 9. The Government has received tha following cable from South Africa:—"Surgeon-Cap-tain Godfrey, Captain Crawshaw, and Lieutenant Montgcmerie, have rejoined their troop, Lieutenant Tucker and Sommervill.e are doing we'd. 476 Trooper Booth is undergoing an operation to extract a bullet from his arm; 166 Trooper Borlase has a slight fever. The other men aro doing well.