WITH THE FIRST CONTINGENT.

Evening Star, Issue 11152, 30 January 1900, Page 2

WITH THE FIRST CONTINGENT.

The special of the Press Association writes from Arundel camp, under date December 28, as follows :

On the 23rd General French inspected our Hneß and horses, and expressed himself well plea3ed with the tidiness of the camp and with the condition of our horses. The sick .howe lines were unfortunately rather full; but this is really not surprising, aa tho horses until recently were buffeted about a good deal from almost the moment they landed, and, moreover, they did not take kindly to their new oats and bran feed, the majority of them never previously having had anything to eat but grass or oaten chaff. Many of the horses have also suffered from " cracked heels," which is troublesome to cure unless the horse is thrown out of work entirely, and this we cannot afford to do.

The field division continues to grow in strength as fresh troops daily arri\ e. The New Wales Laneers are now all here. A lot of Engineers arrived yesterday, and the Suffolk R?giment will arrive to-night. Every train brings tons of stores and a multiplicity of implements of war, with their trained manipulators. A set of instruments for wireless telegraphy is expected shortly.

Dr Thomas Burns, of Dunedin, has rejoined us, his services having been accepted by the Imperial authorities for general duty. He was fitst attached to the field hospital at Winberg. and then went to East London, and was finally sent back here to be attached to us again. It is much more satisfactory having our own doctor in camp with us than having to depend on " the medical officer on duty" at the field hospital. Lieutenant Neave, of Canterbury, who went up last September for his examination for a colonial commission, has been successful, and hasbeen posted to the Yorkshireßegiment, who have just arrived in this country, and are now at De Aar. He will leave us to-morrow to join his regiment. We are all sorry to lobg him, but wish him luck and every success in his new regiment. Colesberg at the commencement of the war waß hold by a small force of fifty of our mounted infantry, but it had to be abandoned from lack of troops and to save our troops from being cut off. It was then occupied by a party of Free State Boers, who were afterwards reinforced by a commando of 700 Transvaal Boerß, the force now holding it being about 3,500, with some armed Natives.