OFF TO THE FRONT

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2227, 13 August 1914, Page 6

OFF TO THE FRONT

■•■ • ■'■'-'• -EEOM THE ; B ARRACKS •TO 'THE •7 ':'-^ r: f<i« <•. ,'■ ' 'Tlie'^hniicat-tramp. of"inarching'feet■ '■' -'TanV out on the~ wood-paved city>etifeets: ~ yesterday; morning, -and;. Wellington pour- ;'•.' cd itself 'onitr^b'f.Jiou'se T and'.,:.shop, and : the thoron'gnfares to' , "witness- the ■'--■'■■■Biaroh:-of,the-firet contingent, tho advance ;:;;'party^''tireV,Expediti6 ! nni'.T;Fqrpe,'. l from .- - M lie BarracW: to; the troopships' shortly to ■.•■ ; >jail for aii/'iinliidwn.destination.;:'.. ~.■_;.. : ■'•'■'.' Preceded • by- tho band' of -the , sth Eegi- ■ ■ 'menCurider Conductor- H.'ll'CdmTsti, ond ••■■the Kund!, (formerly • Athe City ißan'd),-under-Libttt; -T-.' Herd, and Jihejaldeft 'By tW arutam.eT.9,;- the' ftontin- ' 'gent-well over one^honsandsfa-ong.sirnDK ■ .: ont'.of"tlleidriir/yara"at-Buckle , 'Street »pbwn'- : Tafanaki - .STree^'fliey''. ; maroh'ed,v'and- liefore . P4<liftitii'ea' ■into , 'Viviah' Street'they -Trere' ■ ■ "a -cheering'• crowsljj growing f: ■ -'inore ,:6nthiisiastid.'. "As- tuo' ■.. iSnien maa'phetl along S^" 3 : : -''of khaki .iras bordered; by •dense ■:''■ iblabk' mjikses of people, whose voices were V jiftedVever-. and - anon in. ■■ encouraging! oheersj■■.•■' . ..j ..-;.,- . ii'.,.'.. . __.„: : i Manners ; Street, traversed 'and , Willis, i ■/fifreet- entered upon,. tie column' found' ' . news 'of :its ! approach J uad'preceue<l . \it. : : Shops were desei-tkl., .Windows, bal(conies,' and-.e'Ten'yrrndbw ledges - . ibecamp suddenly aniniated; ; : and,these ;re-V.jliresented-nearly"the comparative.few who v'--. did iot find Toom on the'fooU-ay.andthe ißtreet.i'-I'aseingthrough-Post Office.Sqnare i'thi;tropp3..ha,d gathered a-crow.d. of,tlioutsands, -hundreds of whom : were.,running. ..lihatless^-, , •arid-; breathless''•'Kitheri ;and .ithitHer straggling ..for .better .positionsto ■■' wfltch- , : the progress.- of. .;the ■ "Column.>iAnd ,the ships ..side, ■'aFollowiugi-.tKe column' in;, motors , cats ■'■■ : -pvere the in their "grey uniforms. ■ '.tit was- a stinmgvprocession— a ; troop ■'■for any land oh earth to be proud of, and "to -public' Ttiicing a patriotic, fervour Swhich marked the temper of tlie;riational ; : ; fepirit; ; '. .••■.' ' -p, .'■''"'.. j The departure of a contingent for the {•front js'iiot'a. new:experience,to.Welliiig- . 'Etonian's, but wliile-the.year's.between 1899 K fend 1002. found-US, occupied: maw, days : Svith the 'faiiewelilng-.of thousands..clad '■>'■ i'sn' khalcir. there has -never yet. been an ■V V>ocMibn- in .tie city's.'history : which Jias; ■■■■\ inade such: a deep impression , on those who stood by and saw, the march, by of '■- men, earnest and cheerful; who had vown- ■ teered to seryo.for'the.Envpire, and'.were, 'about to embark on that, mission even - they did not know for what part ■'■' of the world: they were' destined. Stirring '•■■■■ asjthe scene-was, it,,had ;its ,-tender : : touches.' Here and there "a woman's tears or the stern v emo,tion o bosom friend - : reminded "one:of the .great Baorifices which. ■-. .--a-ere in. -the cause"of-Em- -.. ' pjxe. -, _. .■ 1. -..*- ' ■-■'■ '—„ : >. ■ The contingent finally embarked, in the : '- eveningVanA at about'7.o'clock;the tfans- ,; V ports moved 'out-into the,stream amidst " : "'a- sceiie of extraordinary'. ; enthusinsm. t>. •' 'Jaie,,embarkation,.-.had 'its.diversions-one. "■'■'"■ private fell-overboard■■:but>,was.,rescuett '■•■.■-. : •■■ W.'Mr: Eansdonne,.-of.:Molesjyprtli;Stieet,; r a Eoyal Huriiane Society man. Some of, ' . tlie-men-.reached..tlie;.wha,rf,late,..and.-,na[l , ■.'•■'■■ to bo "taken-'.b'ut;bjr. the Hiirbour Boards : 1: 'launch'. V The -Admiral, also, .'took some-;;>!.-officers to the ship's'sid^at!; , about -9' ".■-.•.; o'clock.;/-, ■:. ;■ ' .'■,"■."":. 7 V' -I : '-h ■:"'■■■''■'. J ' '. ■.". '•■••. .-.'■ ■'■•' ,! ."'-•'..■ .'.