GALLANT NEW ZEALANDERS.

Evening Star, Issue 12902, 27 August 1906, Page 8

GALLANT NEW ZEALANDERS.

A STIRRING TALE OF HEROISM. [Feom Orjß Srecur, Correston-dent.] Writing from Pieiermaritzburg on June the special correspondent of the London Daily Telegraph' gives a vivid picture of the battle with the Zulus which Roystons Hors-e. under Captain E. Clerk (a New Zoalander), who served with the Fifth Queenslanders during the Boer War, fought on June 3 in tho .Nkandhla Bush. Natal. The correspondent describes this fight as having no parallel in South African historv for courageous devotion to duty and intrepid daring since the days when Major Alan Wilson and his little'band laid down their lives on the banks of Ihe Shangani River. At the time of the attack Clerk and his men were beating through the dense bush of the Nkandhla forest, and formed part of a lino extending about a mile and a-half in lengtk On all sides tho tall forest trees and dense undergrowth prevented the men from seeing more tlian twenty cr thirty yards, and the utmost caution was observed. Clerk, who has had experience of native warfare in Queensland, suspected that a large force was in the vicinity, the trampled undergrowth bearing the marks of many footprints. Word was passed along the lino to observe strict silence and caution. -The injunction had scarcely left the lips of the last man, when a black figure rose out of the dense undergrowth, about fifteen paces distant, and fired point blank at tho captain. Tho bullet missed him, and struck the third man, inflicting a nasty wound. This was the signal for a general onslaught. The little party bad, in spite of their precautions-, walked right into an ambush. "Halt!" tho command rang out clear and sharp, and tho men prepared to face a deadly onslaught. At tho first shot the cowardly levies turned and fled, disorganising the littlo body of whites as they did so. Immediately the "bush became full" of black bodies, clustering together in the undergrowth like bees as they drew near to get a clear throw for their assegais and an uninterrupted sight for their rifles and the guns with which they were armed. It was no light ta.sk for a mere handful of men to turn and face an uncertain crowd of dusky savages, yelling in that blood-curdling way which is peculiarly their own,. as they shouted out their defiance at this insignifi-cant-looking lot of men. Nevertheless, the men reformed calmly n.nd without any sign of flurry, and presented a small but bold front to the enemy. Clerk turned and emptied the magazine of his carbine amongst them, while tho others continued to pour round after round independently into the black mass, which was straining every nerve to get among tho Europeans. While so occupied, Clerk failed to notice that Iris comrades had fallen back into the donga, which offered more shelter, and by ihe rime he realised it he was left alone. Drawing his revolver, he fired as he retreated, when suddenly he was opposed by two natives more intrepid than the rest, who barred his progress.' One raised his stabbing assegai, and tho next moment Clerk would have been a dead man, but, with a cool aim, lie brought him to the ground with a bullet through Iris arm. Instantly tho other jumped from the left, and aimed a deadly blow at Clerk's head, which he parried with his carbine, the assegai cutting into the flesh over the eye. With the shock of tho blow Clerk reeled and fell, turning a somersault on the sloping hillside, hut in a trice he was on his feet again and facing the native, whom he shot through the chest, killing him instantly. Without further mishap, Clerk rejoined his men, and together the seven fought in the donga for dear life. The remainder of the men who had formed Lhe Hue were, at that moment separated from their comrades. Standing attired in a white shirt, a consp:cuous figure against Ihe dark gr->en of the tiecs, was Sergeant, Fraier, a New Zcalander, who fought away as thought it were an everyday occurrence, while the veiling horde continued to press forward .and encircle tho little party. Fraser seemed to bear a charmed life. "Although his clothing was riddled with marks, he had rot so much as a. scratch upon his body. Trooper Flynn, with an assegai wound on his cheek, and partially blinded, continued to fire with the utmcet precision, while the blood trickled down his cheek. As tho fight progressed the men continued to exchange jocular remarks, although they must have realised that there was a diiii prospect of ever getting out alive. Trooper Holmes was shot through tho thigh with a bullet, and another struck Corporal Woolnough in the ankle. Corporal Alexander was killed with an assegai, and Trooper Hawkins also died from assegai wounds. By this time the prospect was becoininT hopeless. Nearly all the men were wounded, and those who had sufficient strength left to hold a revolver or a. rifle continued to fire whenever a dusky form approaclied near enough for the shot to be effective, but they were getting weaker and weaker. The natives rained in a shower of assegais at first, and then kept off at a respectable di.stance, while they tried the effect of their firearms, the fire from which was deadly enough to do considerable damage, but the aim was bad. Every now and again thcy would attempt to get to close quarters, but were driven off with great loss. Captain Clerk was wounded in five places. A slug had struck him on the back of the thigh, a bullet grazed his elbow, an assegai pierced the flesh over the eye, another was buried deep in the fleshy part of his arm, and an explosive bullet damaged his left arm with a very painful wound. Although bearing these five wounds, he managed to load his carbine and to fire away as long as his strength lasted, and when he found it too much for him he took to his heavv revolver. All this time Clerk and Holmes between them continued to shout for help, as they knew their comrades could not be far away, and they knew also that many of the natives understood English, and hoped they would by this means divert the attention of the enemy. Colonel Royston and his men heard, the cries of the natives and the sound of firing as soon as it besran, and without pausing for a moment they "ail mado a dash for the spot. It was no easy matter to force their way through the bush as fast as they wished, but they came on as quickly as possible, and were just in time. As they approached the spot where the littlo force was gallantly holding its own, they came in contact with the native horns, which had been thrown out to intercept them, and from which they were exposed to a heavy fire. It was soon over. The natives, seeing they were overcome, turned and fled, leaving their dead where they had fallen. Poor Harding's body, when found, contained twenty-seven wounds, altogether. It is worthy of note, that one old native induna remained and fousht with the and

although assegaicd in the face, he -was plucky enough to continue firing ■without intermission. It was a desperate situation indeed. Ten minutes more, and like Shangani, not a man would have lived to tell the tale. Clerk had just loaded his-fifty-eighth cartridge, and had emptied the last three of the five, when the relief party arrived, and. he and his comrades fell "back exhausted.