THE SECOND CONTINGENT.

Evening Star, Issue 11132, 6 January 1900, Page 6

THE SECOND CONTINGENT.

CAMP NOTES. [Spkcial to tke Star.] WELLINGTON, January 6. ( As the detachments of recruits for the Contingent continue to come in, and the officers arid men get more in touch with each other, the camp settles down to the hard work of training. The facility with which all ranks have adapted themselves to the conditions of camp life is really wonderful, and would do no discredit to veteran soldiers. Yesterday morning seventy men. under the command of 'Lieut, -colonel' Sommcrvillc. and Lieutenants Banks and Sommerville. went out to the ritle range at Miramar, kindly placed at the disposal of the Contingent bv the Wellington Navals. and did some very fair shooting at the 2CO yards range. It is intended to give all the members of the corps an opportunity of getting their hands in at ball practice before the embarkation. The only other parade during the dav was that of No. 2 Division, which was divided into squads for instruction in manual and tiring exercises. Though the men were new to each other, the drill was performed with creditable smartness and precision. Detachments were also instructed in the handling of the Maxim gun, lent for the purpose by the Permanent Artillery, whilst another squad was coached up in Hag and semaphore signalling.

Of the toa-1 of thirteen gunners required for the Hotchkiss quick-tiring guns the following fifteen have been selected :—thinners West, Chapman. M'Donald. Clark, Foreman, Mowbray, Reid. Wright, Borlase. Morton, Hawkes, Pringle, Sommerville, Turnbull. and Curtis. Several of these, I understand, have already received some training in the New Zealand Artillery, and will readily pick up the drill, but thev will have no opportunity of handling the Hotchkiss quick-firers in New Zealand, because tin. guns will be sent direct to the Cape, when the men will join them. The Maxim drill js merely preliminary to training with the Hotchkiss guns.

In the afternoon the officers a.gaiu practised revolver shooting at ranges of 50 t<, 70 yards, , when Lieutenants "Sommervilh and Banks and Dr Fenwick (Christchurch; made a very good score in rapid tiring! Firing at a, bank in quick succession, Lieutenant Banks planted every shot on tin mark. If the Boers ever "come to close quarters with the Second Contingent- -am" according to present appearances" it is al, Lombard street to a China orange that thewill—they stand a. good chance of beinlpeppered by crack revolver shots.

Twenty horses were hrought into cani[ yesterday afternoon and offered for sale to trie Government, but- after a keen examination by Mr Gilnith on]v four were accepted. Among the most recent donors of mounts for the Contingent are the following: Messrs A. Bavly (Tar.tna.ki), W. Svmes. M.H.R., a.ntl Handvsides (Hawkc's Bay) Wyburn and M'Kinnon (Auckland), Walker Nuhaka, and Barlow (Napier). Messrs llel laby, butchers, of Auckland, presented a horse, hut as it was rejected bv the chic.' Government vet. as not complying with th< conditions the firm have wired to ship tinhorse back at their cost, and have substitutec a donation of £2O towards the fund for providing mounts for " our boys," It is gratifying to see such patriotic sentiments' aui matiniT all sections of the community, Som-. ot me are of such a miscellaneous am": eccentric nature that they might well provokt a smile but for the fact that their ven variety and novelty are indicative of the general spirit and "of the universal desin to help the cause. This the supply ■., bacon to which I referred yesterday has beei supplemented from the Dunedin Pheen:: Company by an offer to provide boxes o! chocolates for the Contingent during tin voyage across to South Africa, and anothei philanthropic loyalist is willing to donaU a supply of horses' ointment.

I hear that the Colonial Secretary cannoi comply with the request of the Dresdei, Piano Company by issuing a permit to hok" an art union on the piano which was lent to the First Contingent, the proceeds to bi devoted to the Patriotic Fund, and the fini c irrying out the art union at their own costs ; and it is coming back in the Waiwera. Mr Carroll, I am informed, does not believe that a piano comes within the categon of a "'work of art," to which permits ai'< applicable. lam sorry the Colonial Secretary should take such a cast-iron view of tin Act, for hundreds of permits for far less dcart unions are granted. The designation "work of art" seems to cover a very wicU range. I have seen not only pictures, o; rather daubs, which it would be desecratioi, to call by that name, included under tin general categon- of works of art, but te; and coffee services, house allotments, horses jewellery, and all sorts of curious things t< raise the wind for a church building fund o-. a racing club.

The full complement of the Contingent and the detachments for the Hotchkiss guti.are now maae up. Two hundred and rift-, men have been enrolled, and are in camp o'i on the way from various parte of the colony. I am authorised by the Defence Department to say that it is absolutely useless for any further applicants for enrolment to present themselves. In the Wellington district alone there have been upwards of 400 written applications, besides personal candidates, anil the applications from all parts of the colony could be counted in thousand.":—such is tin spirit of loyalty and the courage which animates the manhood of this country. The actual value of the two Contingent's is not to be gauged merely by numbers; it imerely an earnest, of what the colony is prepared to do in case of real emergency. The officers were entertained at dinner by Colonel Pole Penton last evenin". The men are settling down comfortably in messes. and are beginning to know each other. Everyone is pleased at the prospect of ai early departure for the seat of war. I am gjad to learn that Trooper Signal. who sustained a severe shaking throiiL'h ivicious horse rearing and falling upon him is able to take exercise ; but Trooper Chapman's case is more serious, and is causing some anxiety to his comrades. '

The cases in the hands of the regimental doctor are comparatively tritlint;—-two oi influenza, a kick from a horse, anrfa sprained ankle. Sapper K. Barnes (Christehurch Engineers), who sustained some injury in ;l barebacked parade a few days ago, "on release from hospital yesterday, has been discharged from the Contingent at his own request, on the ground that he cannot be fit to accompany it to South Africa—an opinion in which Dr Femvick concurs. It is reported in camp that Captain Rein, of the Waikato, will not be able to take command of No. 1 Company. Meantime, Lieutenant Montgomery, of the Wellington City Rifles, bas temporary charge of the company. Sergeant De Carteret, from the Auckland district, now in camp, was for eighteen months a second lieutenant, in the 2nd Dragoons. He has also served in the 10th Hussars and, the militia. The Mayor of Wellington has convened a public meeting for Monday next to arrange for an appropriate send-off "to the Contingent. Amongst the multifarious suggestions which appear from time to time in the Wellington Press, ranging from a trifling detail to a plan of campaign, some fanatic recommends a solemn religious service, in order to prepare the Contingent for that death which the writer seems to regard as inevitable. The following are the latest additions to the Contingent in camp : Hawera Mounted Rifles.—Trooper S. W. F Taplin.

Auckland Mounted Rifles.—Trooper J. A Acheson Jones. ■■

Waikato Mounted Rifles.— Ti-ooper William Zewdall.

Wanganui Rifles.—Privates E. Spence and A. Bicrre.

The whole of the party of twenty-nine men who arrived in barracks yesterday morning passed the doctors examinations. There are twenty-seven men a waiting Colonel Penton's inspection, iind the majority of these will probably go into camp. His Excellency the Governor's approval of the appointment of Montagu Cradock, late captain 6th Dragoon Guards (Carbineers), to be major in the New Zealand Militia is notified in this week's ' Gazette.' The commission dates from the 23rd December.

The Premier approves of the proposal to form » contingent of Australian bushmen for South Africa. He also acknowledges the offer of Austvians from the Auckland gumfields for service, but replies that the number required for the Second Contingent has been secured.

[Peb, Press Association.]

HOKITIKA, January 5. Three Hokitika volunteers left at an'hour's notice to-day to catch the Hinemoa at Gteymouth, in order to proceed to Wellington hj join the Second Contingent. Four others go by the first chance, the notice to-day being too short to enable them to depart, borne of the volunteers are miners, who are celling their claims to get away. A large crowd assembled at the railway station to give the departing volunteers a hearty sendoff. One man also goes from Kumara.

At a preliminary meeting at Timaru yesterday afternoon about twenty representative men were present. They were addressed bv Co.onel Dalgety, and.the following resolution passed:--"That the .meeting are of opinion that more mounted men be sent to the Transvaal at once; that present restriction on volunteers he removed ; that station hands and country men generally be allowed to volunteer; that a, mass meeting be held to consider the matter ; that this resolution be telegraphed to the Government." It was resolved to hold a public meeting on Monday night to further urge the matter on the Government. The meeting disapproved of the Continjrcnt being paid for bv individuals. They should l>e a charge on the taxation of the colony.