MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

Evening Post, Volume LX, Issue 103, 29 October 1900, Page 5

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

THE HOME-COMING OF THE LONDON VOLUNTEERS. LONDON, 28th October. A gale and fog in the Channel have delayed the arrival of the City of London Imperial Volunteers at Southnqipton. The reception will be held on Monday. The streets were thronged to-day^ and there was great disappointment at their nonarrival.

(Received October 29 9 0.m.) ' 1 LONDON, 281U October. Private Jones, of the Victorian Contingent, has died from inflammation.Three thousand Rand refugees at Capetown have petitioned the Queen for permission to return to Johannesburg. INVALIDED N.Z. TKOOPERS. The following cable message has been received by the Premier from the General of Oommunications, dated CapetoAvn, 25th inst. :— "The Delphic left Capetown for New Zealand on 23rd October, having . the following invalids of the New Zealand Contingents on board : —340, Sergt. Sykes, 113, Private Aitken ; 387, Private Martin; 762, Private Robertson; 375, Private Kraipp; 377, Private Barnes; 656, Private Knudson ; 524, Private Holden; 2485, Private J. C. Kirwin; 774, Private Montgomery; 832, Private Heiford." [Private James Aitken (Gore) was a member of the First Contingent; Sergt. F. B. Sykes (Christchurch), Troopers J. ■R. Martin, E. N. Knapp (Tjkokino, H. 8,), A. Barnes (Wanganui), and G. Holden (Te Awamutu), were in the Second; Contingents ; Troopers N. D. Robertson (Wanganui), A. Knudson (Pigeon Bay), R. Montgomery (Stratford), and W. J. Heiford (Napier) were in the Third Contingent ; and Trooper J. C. Kirwin (Motupiko, Nelson) belonged to the Fifth Contingent] LORD ROBERTS'S % RETURN. Field-Marshal Lord Roberts, whose" early return Home is announced by cable, arrived at Capetown on 10th January last to take chief command of the army in South Africa. After a few weeks spent there in maturing his plans, he went to the front and personally directed the operations which resulted in the relief of Kimberley and the capture, of General Cronje and his army. The occupation of Bloemfontein speedily followed, and the victorious General made the Free State cap&al the base for an invasion of the Trausvaal, which was speedily overrun by the British troops, Johannesburg, Pretoria— the capital of the country— and the various towns to the far east falling in quick . succession. Finally, the remnants of anything like an organised army were driven into Portuguese territory, and there disarmed. So thorough has been the British Com-mander-in-Chief in the design and execution of his plans, that it may be taken for granted that only predatory bands of Boers are now left to carry on a guerilla warfare, and that ample dispositions have been made for dealing with these isolated bodies. The highest honours his Queen \ and country can bestow await the Field-Marshal on his return Home, but these will probably avail little to assuage his grief for the loss of his only son, who lost, his life in battle on the banks of the Tugela. BEATEN AT THEIR OWN GAME. "We gave some Boers a surprise yesterday morning which they v?i\] not get over for some time," Writes Trooper J. Fleming, of the Fifth Contingent, to his parents, from Malmani, under date 6th September. "In fact, we just played them at their own game. About ten of fifteen of them have been in the habit of lying in wait for our patrols every day, and r quietly sniping at them. The day before yesterday I was out on patrol, and we were fired upon. Every morning, at 4.30, we are lined but where the outposts are, and lie behind rocks until sunrise, in case ,of attacks. So yesterday morning,' instead of lying in the usual spot, the Colonel took us out to where the Boers used to lie in wait for us. About 5 o'clock we heard horses approaching, and were, all anxiously waiting for developments. Presently fifteen Boers hove in sight, all unconscious of our presence. "They came to within 100 yards of us, when two of them dismounted. All at once they scented danger, and away they* went. • At the same time we poured a volley into them, killing two, and wounding three, also killing three horses. The others got away, although several of them were hit. The two that were dismounted were wounded— one having (^a marvellous escape. He was hit five times — three in his arms, one in the leg, and the other making a red murk right across his back ; another- half inch and it would have severed his spine. There' were fourteen bullet holes through his overcoat, and about seven or eight in his hprse. He was as fine specimen of a man as I have seen. The doctor told us that he measured 46in round the chest. The other fellow was more seriously wounded. . They are both in the hospital now. The big fellow told us that they had a great respect for the New Zealanders—they were too good shots to please 'them, he said. None of "s were wounded. ' > To-day five Boers came in, asking .what tarms we offered for their surrender. They, said there were three hundred of them willing to surrender if suitable terms were offered. Of course they were told that they must surrender unconditionally. They >Y^l bring their answer in by Saturday." ( Here is another graphic little bit from a letter written a few days earlier : — "We had a .taste of an African storm last week, and I can assure you' one taate is quite enough for me. It was very funny. We have -no • tents', bub afcout six of us got under a tarpaulin. We had just got to -bed when down the rain' came ; also hail. The hail was as big as marbles, and as they hit the tarpaulin they sent, the water through like mist., Very soon the blankets were wet through, and to add to the fun Newman shouted out "Catch me, boys, I'm afloat." Before five minutes more had passed our blankets were under water, so we had to stand for the rest of the night. It cleared off somewhat through- the day, but came on again at night worse than ever. I happened to be on outpost duty, and I never spent such a night in my life. The .'lightning was simply grand. It didn't cease for a moment the whole night, while the thunder was deafening. In Mafeking every tent was blown down, as well as half the^ houses, while several men were killed. Not a man of ours suffered any ill effects from the ducking which they received, which goes to show how hardy they are." IN DEFENCE OF COLONEL ROBIN. Trooper George Mitchell, one of the invalided members of the First Contingent, writes to the Clutha Leader as follows : — Since arriving in New Zealand it has come to my knowledge that certain statements have been" put in circulation reflecting on the bravery and capability of Lieutenant-Colonel Robin. I desire to say a few words in defence of my late leader, and I do so of my own free will and in justice to him. Ido not know from whom these statements emanated, but have heard they were first put in circulation by a West Coast trooper in a later contingent. Whoever is responsible is, in my opinion, not worthy of .the name .of soldier. I feel it my duty to defend* as far as lies in my power the man who is not here toe defend himself. I was in the First Contingent, and, with them, saw a lot of hard fighting around Colesbnrg; and was in General French's column that went to Kimberley and across the Free Slate to Bloomfontem ; and were theie anything in the reflections on Colpnel Robin I should certainly have both seen und heard something of it. On the .contrary, Colonel Robin a bravery, coolness} and able leadership were exemplified and as for myself, I would have no hesitation in saying he led his men courageously and with judgment. His rescus of a ' picket of New Zealanders from a dangermiA unction on one particulai occasion

was plucky and daring in the extreme, and was sufficient to put t\ll concerned in it, and their friends, under a deep debt, of gratitude to him. Indeed the New Zealanders were in many tight corners. Colonel Robin treated his men as a gentleman should, was ever solicitous and never spared himself for their welfare, and to his wise and careful handling of them I attribute the fact that they did _no.t meet with more than one serious disaster, such as befel several other companies. He has proved himself worthy of his position, and as for myself Iwould have no hesitation in choosing him as my leader were it again necessary to take up arms for active service. After Bloemfontein was reached several •of the men were much bent on joining the police, many of them thinking the war was about over. Colonel Robin, I understood, was much opposed to this, and so expressed himself. He wished to keep the contingent together, and rightly so. After they left some of them wished to get back, but the door was closed to some extent, hence some dissatisfaction, for which Colonel Robin was not responsible. As a fact, I believe, fewer men left Colonel Robin's contingent than any of the other contingents. I saw nothing to justify the cowardly statements that have been put into circulation. Colonel Robin has been successful ; result, petty jealousy in some quarters. • In the course of a letter to a Wanganui resident, Lieut.-General Baden-Powell expresses regret 'that up to the time of writing 1 he had not had any of the New Zealand contingents tinder his command, and adds^r-" Everywhere I have heard fflatterr r ing accounts of their woik. Ido hope my luck may stick to me so that I shall be able to pay New Zealand a visit."