LORD KITCHENER.

Evening Post, Volume LIX, Issue 11, 13 January 1900, Page 4 (Supplement)

LORD KITCHENER.

"Ruffler," in Vanity Fair has a story of the Sirdar. Lord Kitchener of Khartoum (he says) is a wonder The 15th Battalion in the Soudan, which used to be Egyptian, is now formed entirely of Khalita's blacks. They had to take over all the -worn-out kit of the Egyptians iv accordance with the Sirdar's principles of economy ; and not only was this the case, but evwi the colouied badges on their turbans were altered to crimson, so that a lot of old tar brushes might be cut up for the purpose. After four months* drill the Sirdar reviewed them, andi they marched pasl Una in a perfectly indecent state owing to the frequent holes in their pantaloons. Thou 1 colonel fully intended to rub this well into the Sinlar at tljc close of the proceedings, and to ask for a new issue. But Loru Kitchener saw it in his eye, and forestalls him with a general outburst of eulogy : " Well, colonel, you have dguo .excellently. Look at them — pink of condition ! Wln r they've quite fut — actually bursting their clothes — and all in four months ! Good morning —excellent — excellent ! "

Except for a small area north of the Clarence River the whole of New South Wales suffered from shortness of rain during. December. Two Frenchmen recently went to gaol for three months as the alternative of paying a fine of £100 each for keeping ,arT illicit still at Alexandria (N.S.W.). The motto adopted by the advocates of separation in West Australia is "Separation for Federation." They contend that the West Australian goklfields are entitled to half the representation in Parliament, but only have about oneseven th. It has been decided to proceed with the erection of new explosives magazines at North Ann, Adelaide (South Australia), and to do away «ith the present system of storing a lorge quantity on the hulk at> Poi'fc Gawler. The Marino Boaid nbo r^coimngnds the construction of a proper shed foi enciflining defective or damaged explosives- '