A VAIN PROMISE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CV, Issue 12424, 13 February 1901, Page 5

A VAIN PROMISE.

PRECAUTION AGAINST COMMANDEERING. LONDON* Feb. 11. Mr Kruger is ~ still promising General Botha. European interference. Major Brereton, commanding at S*yusburg, has ca&eS in all the males, farmers), and cdflie*, ftotti sixteen t|> forty years -of - age, lest the enemy should commandeer . tibea. If they disobey the order to join ijJw oomiMados they are commahdeerfed, and if found in the ranks of the enemy they. j are guilty of high treason. ■J)E LA REY'S FORGE. EXEMPLARY rUNISHMENT. ? Colonel Cunningham is hatching Be la, Rey's force of two thousand men, near Krugersdorp. A disloyalist, at Kimberley, (has been sentenced to twelve months' imprisonment and a fine of £3OO for uttering insults against the late Queen, and disfiguring her portrait. ' DEATH OF AN AUSTRALIAN. (Received Feb. 12, 10.33 p.m.) LONDON, Feb. 12. Captain d! H. M'L'ekn, ,«*f the imperial Yebmaairyj' the Australian who rowed in the 6xfbrdi boat m the University boatraces in the eighties, died of fever at JoA NEW ZEALANDER'S PROMOTION. ADELAIDE, Feb. 12. Lieutenant F. D. Muir, of the Fifth. Contingent, was a lance-corporal in the First Contingent. He previously held .fl commission in the- New Zealand forces. SEVENTH CONTINGENT. The Wellington correspondent of the " OfcgJio Daily Times," says that the total strength of the Seventh Contingent will be about 1700 men. They will go forward in, drafts of 300 or 400 to fill up the gaps and relieve the contingents now at the front. THE SECOND CONTINGENT. The following extracts are taken from let- , ters Written by Trooper L. G. O'Callaghan, of the Second Contingent, to his relatives in Christchurch:—Rhenoster Kop, near Bronkerspruit, Dec. 1, 1900.—This place is about fifteen miles north of the line, and thirty miles <easj> of Pretoria, and a rough place it is. At, present we are holding a position that was taken, from the enemy when our boys were cut up. The Boers have taken up a new position, about eight miles off, and every day, on patrol, our chaps meet them), aind generally exchange a few shots. I am Jn good health again, and quite fib for the, hard work we are having now. We are but on Cossack every other night, sometimes _ two running j and in the daytime we are'either patrolling or doing observation—that is, sitting on top of a kopje, and reporting the movements of any Boers near at hand. Colonel Cradbck and Captain Crawshaw are thought a, tremendous lot of by our men. Poor old Second, it received a rude shock in the way it was cut up here in the big fight. By all accounts, we will not be home for a long time yet. Joe Boer is very obstinate. As soon as we are sufficiently reinforced, wearegoingtotackhs the crowd near to us. At present we are under a thousand Strong, and the Boers are over five thousand, but we hold too good a position, for them to attack, and vice Versa. P. S.—Prospects of Christmas dinner: very hardest, " axe-crackable " ; bully, mon-eatable; coffee, hb sugar, no milk. Rhenoster Kop, Dee. 26, 1900.—We are ! still holding this position, tad we all get plenty of duty. Our work consists in supplying picquets on the surrounding kopjes, arid in patrolling the country, within a. radius of six, miles of bur position. This is rather "dicky" work, and the pateole are often sniped at. Up to yesterday, none of us got into trouble, but yesterday one of our men was hit, and. two horses killed. They got into a warm corner, and were lucky to come but as they did. Well, we had bur Christmas on the veldt, and, taking into consideration the adverse circumstances, it was a fairly enjoyable one. We managed to get a few stores out from Pretoria, and fbr the first time in this country we had some good oatmeal porridge. I am living in the same bivouac, or "biv.," as we call them, as Jack King and Albert Thorean, of TimarUj and on Christmas Day we raised some cornflour'and Vanilla from a Dutch hovisej arid made a beautiful blanc-mnr:gs, and, together with some stewed pt-adies (secured from an orchard in the vallfey), we made a first-class Christmas, dinner. We had a concert on Christmas Eye, and another last night, and all enjbyed them. Some of our chap's, including Rees (son of atieiM.H.R.), have edited a paper called "The Veldt Lyre; or Second New Zealand Contingent Chronicle. i! It cbhtains articles by Colonels Robin and Cradock arid other officers, also advertisements > births, marriages and deaths (coraic); pioquet cables (that is, riiiinotirs), ar*t numerous other ieadi!igs. It is really good, and we intend printing it in New Zealand when vte get home. We have been on service now. a, year, and the boys are very anxious to jget back. We hea*'it rumoured thai & Gbntihgeftt is coming. If so, I Bbpfe relieve- iis. We are now bnly bite ffiSdred' and teli strong* i aid ffiSliy bfliele (tafe'sicfe And uiififc lot duty. OoloM RbbinKteUs us that M tJtfnfe the Second will get as&ay any time now. t have quite got over tfe touch of f ever I had, aM feel n&vrjpfit for aaything. Hope you can

read fcMs, but it as rough writJasg m tkf ground. •■' ~ v - ; i A* the Akaroa Oddfellows' Sail ©a iWtfc nfisday last a public welcome Trets.giwg to Trooper F. AiTrnstroaig, of t3s» Second Contingent, and' a native of Akaraa., wfccj has just returned from the *&an*! vaal. There was a: large attendance, -airij his Worship iho Mayor, Mr H. C. Ofbeß; presided. The Chairman rawed ajre«ltt, tion tendering a hearfcv vrelccme to Troop** Armstrong. The Rev" J. T. Smyth «mom& ed the motion, winch was caxriei aaad '«£< plause. Trooper Armstrong hraefty ft* plied, thanking the meeting for tite JdttßSj! welcome, and said he hoped soon to i* back again to help finish the -war. Otbftt speeches were made, songs, were rendwad;'; and a pleasant evening was brought fc» 4 close by, th.e singing of the Natio&al A»i them.