LETTERS FROM THE FRONT.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 9833, 4 August 1900, Page 8

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT.

Trooper Nicholls.

Writing to a friend in Napier from Marandellas under date June 3rd, Trooper H. Nicholls, -of Matapiro, says : We are moving toward the seat of war, but very slowly. We arrived at Beira on the 26th ef April, and camped there nearly a month, thence on to Bamhoo Creek— 4>o mHes in a fortnight—and' then on to Marandellas, 300 miles from. Biera. There is a big army here now — 2000 Imperial Yeomanry, 1300 Australians, and 2 Contingents of New Zealaaders. General Oarrington is over us. We are in the Rhodesian 'Field Force now. General , Carrmgton reviewed the Fourth Contingent yesterday, and was very well satisfied. Beira is one of the worst places ior fever in South Africa, and at Bamboo Creek there were several cases and three deaths. No New Zealanders died, although a lot got it. Dysentery is very bad—some are going back broken down. The town and its surroundings are on a swamp. Chinamen and blacks are the only healthy residents. There is plenty of 'big game about here—zebras, lions, hyenas, all kinds of buck, and buffaloes. We have had buck for kii several times. The wages are very good on the railway —£25 to £35 per month-y-but the prices of things are cruel—bread Is per loaf, jam and treacle 2s 6d per tin, candles 2 for Iβ, so a man does not have much over. The country is very rich ; vegetation is abundant. The ground is too rich in fact, potatoes, grow about 6 feet high with no potatoes at the root. We hear no war news here. It is very slow. There are 3 batteries of R.A. here. They are forming more out of colonials. A lot left the Fourth Contingent, and the Major was very wild. lam afraid the war is nearly over, i do not know what they are going to do with all the men. We heard that Mafeking was relieved. It would be a bit off if we did not see a bit of an engagement now. We are camped near where the Mashonas made their last stand in the last troubles The graves of the officers and men are there. There is one of the wounded Australians in our camp who fought at Rendsburg. We had a terrible trip in the train, 40 men to half a truck, with baggage. A lot of us slept on the roof of the truck. I nearly fell off one night. We were four nights in the train from the beginning. There are some terrible grades on the railway, and the train keeps breaking down. Cecil Rhodes went through the other day. The Imperials are splendid at their drill. We have been served with the long magazine rifle, but I like the carbine best. This is the only place we could drink unboiled water. It is horrible stuff, and even the horses did not like it at firat. A 100 of the officers think the Boers will retreat this way by Tuli. I hope they do. lam sick of this hanging about with nothing to do but stables and kit inspections. Ido not think it will be such a good place for wages after the war, provisions are so dear. I hope they do not garrison the country for two years without fighting.