THE FOURTH CONTINGENT

Evening Star, Issue 11169, 19 February 1900, Page 3

THE FOURTH CONTINGENT

Tenders for leading lines of the equipment Were opened this morning by the Organising Committee, and the following were accepted :-—Supply of boots, Ring, Harris, and Co. ; helmets, Hallenstcin Bros., New Zealand Clothing Factory ; nosebags and kits, A. Thomson and O. Christian and Co. ; saddles, Brace, Windlo, Blyth, and Co., P. Miller, and Butler Bros. ; saddlery equipment, B. Hatfield and A. M'Kcii7:ic ; spurs and chains, Butler , JS Brns. i 'bandoliers and corrycombs. Bntler Bros;. The whole of the. equipment will probably be ready in less than a fortnight. As fast as completed parcels of the goods can benrade up they will be sent out to the camp, it boing recognised by all concerned that everythirtig—especially the saddles —is urgently needed. The Martini-Lee carbines sent from Wellington for the arming of our men were trivd On Saturday afternoon by two experienced shooters who are members of the Dutiedin Rifle CTub, and the discovery was made that tho carbines arc under-sighted ; that is to say, for shooting at, 200vds the stent has to be TJUt to 300. at 300vds to 400, at 500rds to 550. At 600 yds the sight is all risrht. In oil other respects these carbines arc beautiful little weapons, and those -who tried them say that once a man is on the :nnt with them he can stay there, making bull's oyes all day. The Organising Committee had a long meeting this morning and dealt, with a mass of correspondence with respect to men enrolled and men in camp and questions as to the equipment- or the money found for certain men. With respect to the remounts for the First Contingent, the Defence Department wired that room could not be found an !he Knight Templar for the twenty horses sent from Duncdin to Lyttelton, and Mr Ritchie asked whether it was the wish of the Committee to have these horses forwarded by tho Undaunted and whether it was nnpoJtd to add to the number. The Committee resolved to reply that they did not sec their way to send more remounts by the Undaunted, and to ask that the horses sent to Lyttelton bo properly looked after in tho meantime. Tn respect to a small number of the men who are in camp the question is now raised whether they are really of age. The father of one, saying that his son is not twentvone years old, claims the volunteer's discharge on that ground. Tho Committee have resolved to have inquiries made as to these men, and in all doubtful cases the birth register will be demanded. The printers' horse, to be ridden hv Newman, if he is included in the final, 'will be named "Tnipo." Waikouaiti fully equips James Jones. Mosgiel. remits £IOO and Queenstown £75. Hugh Patcrson, now in camp, served nine years with the Dunedin Highland Rifles. He is a member of that corps now-, and went over to the Cape with the First Contingent as regimental tailor. He wished to go to the front with them, hut he was not allowed to do so. He went to Christehureh to ask for-permission to accompany the Third Contingent ; but, being a Dunedin man, he was rejected. Mr J. Wilson (of Owhiro) and friends supply a horse. Several persons applied for the armorer's post. Tho master bakers wish their horse to go 1/j^James Taylor, or, if he fails, to K. Patrick. The Committee are confident that thev will be all ready hy the 3rd. The grand Patriotic concert which is to be held in the Agricultural Hall ou Wednesday, the 28th ioßt., will without a doubt bo given on an entirely new scale. Tho various committees are making the necessary arrangements for tho carrying out of the performance, bub so many of our musicians have volunteered their services that the Programme Committee have found it a. difficult task to accept all the offers. Our Northern brethren are evidently doing their duty. "A most succeaful patriotic; meeting was held at Whaugaroi last week. The hall was packed from Moor to ceiling. The crowd got tremendously excited, shouting all the choruses and cheering loudly. A lot of Maoris in the gallery got so exoited that they started and went , through a 'haka' very well in spite of the 1 confined space. £lllO was collected." AmoDg those who volunteered their services for the Transvaal was Mr Phil Muir, the well-known cyclist, whoso horse and equipment were guaranteed. He passed his medical examination exceptionally well, but was refused hia pass to the camp. No official reason has bsen given, but it is surmised that an impediment in hia speech was the cause. Our Tapanui correspondent wires ; " Morrison and Stewart, the last of the local contingent, had a big send-off this morning. They are honed and equipped by local subscription. Five men from the Tapanui district have now gone to the camp, and there are plenty more men desirous of going." Colonel Trotter, commanding the Sjirlin? troops, in acknowledging the receipt; of £SO collected among tho Highlanders of Dunedin, and sent through the Bunk of New Zealand to tho Provost of Stirling for the Argyll and Sutherland War Fund, writes : *' Wrdlc asking you to express to your subscribers our very grat?ful thanks for their handsome donation, will you at the same time convey to them what I know will be tho extreme satisfaction of the regiment when they hear how friends no far away have sent tuch a substantial token of the intense they take iu the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. Tho sum our Dunedin friends have so kindly sent shall be apportioned as thoy desire, and they may reßt assured that the recipients of their bounty will appreciate as much as I do the kindly feeling which has prompted the gift. I am forwarding this letter to you through Provost Forrest, who wishes to associate himself with me in expressing hia thankß to our well-wishers in New Zealand." THE CAMP. Orderly officer yesterday, Lieutenant TraiD. Orderly officer to-day, Lieutenant G. Macdonald ; orderly sergeant, Sergeant Fox; orderly corporal, Acting corporal Moran. Orderly officer for to-morrow, Lieutenant Macmillan, D.H.R. Camp roll to-day, 13-1 men, which, with the Southland Contingent (special roll, 50), makes 181 men all told in camp; number of horses in camp, 180. Altogether nineteen men have been rejected for various reaions. The Oamsru men, including Sergeant Rosb and Corporal Ross, havo yet to come into camp, so that there will havo to be a good thinning out yet. Captains Stronach and Price and Lieutenant Freeman took thirty men to Pclichet Bay range this morning far the bhooting teßt. They had not all returned to camp at ten o'clock, but it is understood that on the whole the shooting was over the average. A squad who have already passed their riding rests were drilled by Sergeant-major Kneo with carbines this morning. Three squads of thirty-two men each were drilled in dismounted work by Lieutenants Morris, Macdonald, and Prain. Twelve men were put through riding tests this morning, and did fairly well. It possible the remainder were to have been finished off this afternoon. It is undeistood that the Southland men have passed rising and shooting tests, but the iLjht of rejic ion ft r any of them is reserved. So far the cimp doctor (Dr Watt) has had an easy time. The officers report that the large crowd who visited tho camp yesterday were very well behaved, and did no damage. The heel-roping of some of the '• kickers" caused a good deal of amusement. The Southland men slept in camp laat night. Not a single defaulter in the whole 184 men now under canvas. Yesterday a mounted parade of all the horses in camp was held on the beach. There were eaddleß for eighty horses, the remainder being'led. Fifty-four carbines have been served out np to to-day. Exclusive of the officers' and orderly tents, there are soventy-six in four line?, »nd two horce lines. The camp now prcients a very pretty appearance, and, what, is of more importance, tho facilities for work are increased. At mid-day stables it presented a very busy appearance, and both horses and men now fully understand this part of the day's routine. The quartermaster's department pitched eighteen new tents yesterd*y, and this aLer

noon ten were irtruck and re-erected to preserve the symmetry of the camp. Although, as Btated elsewhere, the public behaved well yesterday, there waa a mob of small boyß who did ocme damage to a tent which had heeu lent to the Committee. They also seriously inconvenienced a number of ladies who were taking shelter from the rain. The forage marquee has been shifted. The officers' lme3 run nearly norlh and south at the west end of tlio camp, the orderly tenb boing at the extremo left looking up the lines.