FIRST NEW ZEALANDERS IN CAMP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11373, 16 May 1900, Page 5

FIRST NEW ZEALANDERS IN CAMP.

' JOTTINGS FROM BLOEMFONTEDT.' EX-NEW ZEALANDERS IN THE v ORANGE FREE STATE. . ; DEATH OF TROOPER JENKS, ' AUCKLAND. ' ', INTERESTING JOTTINGS FROM CAMP.

[FROM OCR SPECIAL WAR CORRESrONDEKI!

WITH THE CONTINGENT.]'

Bix>EjiFO>rrm, April 3.

On the day (Wednesday, March 21) thati my last budget of war news was posted from Bloemfontein, the officers and men of the Powerful and Doris, who had done splern did work at Modder River, Paardeberg, and Driefontein, with tho naval guns, paraded before the Presidency by order of the FieldMarshal, Lord Roberts. Tho men, tanned still browner by the burning South African sun, with razeed clothes and worn-out boots,' showed many signs of tho privations they had undergone during the past month. They, wcro inspected by Lord Roberts, who was net companicd by his staff. His Lordship ex* pressed his approval at the appearance ot tho seamen, and subsequently in; bidding them farewell testified to tho valuable ser* vices they had rendered at the engagements named. He was sorry to lose them, but? before they departed from IMocmfontein ha desired to thank them for tho important/ part they had played in the campaign, and for the courageous and cool manner in which they conducted themselves on the battlefield.Lord Roberts concluded by hoping that those who had been left in Bloemfontein would shortly accompany him to Pretoria. Thousands witnessed the inspection and listened attentively to the speech of the FieldMarshal. At the conclusion of Lord Roberts'' address, cheers were given again and again,; his reference to the taking of Pretoria arous< ing the spectators to a stato of wild enthusiasm. Nothing else of importance occurred in tho capital during the day except! that several Free State burghers arrived at the Presidency and laid down their arms, ; Several stated that had President Stcyn allowed Lord Roberts' proclamation to reach! them, they would have laid down their armsshortlv after the British forces invaded tha Free State. This may or may not be true* but it is certain that tho

FREE STATERS ARE INDIGNANT at not having been taken into the confidence! of their leaders, and allowed to read and digest the conditions of capitulation laid down in the Field Marshal's proclamation.' " He has misled us," said a- prominent Free Stater, who pleaded guilty to having taken up arms against General French's forces when tho New Zealanders were at Rendsberg and bnngorsfontcin. "He has misled us and has deserted us when wo needed his services most." It should go hard with President Stevn when he meets the Orange tree Staters and endeavours to explain his actions after Dricfontcin and the surrender of Blownfontcin. Of the New Zealanders it may be said that those resting at their camp near Bloemfontein are taking every advantage of the brief respite afforded them. Ihe others, under Major Robin, still scoured tho SUM rounding districts, and many Boers have handed in their arms. Somo of the New Zealnndcrs' horses were inspected on tlio 21st by a staff veterinary officer. This gentleman (Lieutenant Douglas), strange to say, proved to be an ex-New Zealandcr. For some years lie occupied a responsible position on the late James Shand's estate at Taien, after which he journeyed to Übnstcburch and Auckland. It seemed strange to suddenly, drop across an old New Wander here, and Lieutenant Douglas has already establsh d himself a favourite with officer, and men. informed me that some of our horses n poor condition and could not be used .or "X long journey. He ordered our be shot, and the same day the suffering animals were put out of their misery. It is t" me ft pitiful eight to walk down our Ins adinsiect the horses. Many have huge ores on their backs, others are al.no t Sd lame, and all are weak and miserable looking How they stood the journeys so well nltonishes even the members of cavalry, m m nS and nothing but praise is given he New Zealanders and their horses for ho courage, patience, and fortitude shown dmSXpast month. Remounts are anxn nnslv awaited, and when these arrive, the campaign until the British flag waves over Johannesburg and Pretoria. Ang able authority, a prominent Free htata burgher, informed me that PRESIDENT KRUGER passed his residence near Bloemfontoa shortly after the engagement at priefontcin, thus bearing out my statement contained Tiny last dispatch that Oom Paul had nob only witnessed the Paardeberg rout, and the encompassing of General Cronjo and Ins me , but bad returned, on this occasion, without President Step, and had watched the sue. cess of the British at Dnefontcm, or Alia-, ham's Kraal. The President is reported, to have said that the English had wiped out Majuba Day, and that the Lord had for * lime forsaken the Transvaalers. He also. «aid that the British forces came over tliokopjes like ants, and that as one company! fell before the Boer shells and bullets, thousands calmlv marched up and took the places of the dead. Perhaps it may prove provu* dential that Kruger witnessed the engagements mentioned, and saw evidence of the* immense forces that Great Britain could pub into tho field. The same informant stated that President Steyn had received a personal! bribe of £80,000 from the Transvaal for securing to the latter the monetary and mili- 1 tary assistance of the Free State, and that! tlio majority of the burghers biing now in possession 'of important information previously withheld by, or with the cognisance of, Steyn, would no longer accept his dictates, and would take no further part in any engagement with the British forces. Tbilisi day, March 22, proved an uneventful day/ except that another quartette of

INVALIDED NEW ZEALANDERS were sent to the hospital. These consisted of Corporal Bodle, Troopers Raynes, Withers, and Hcan. None of the cases were considered serious. The men had been weak) and ill since the trying Kimberley-Bloemfon-tein march, and required rest and decent] food, which they certainly did not receive in camp. Soldiers, particularly those weak-< ened from want of food and sleep, cannot bo expected to recover on bully beef and biscuits, and hospital is the only place where! other than this diet can be obtained. With meals at 5s in Bloemfontein, even an occasional visit to an hotel is a little beyond them, so that the hospital is the only other alternative. I expect to see our boys return ti camp in a few days as strong and healthy as they were when "they left New Zealand's attractive shores. I would have been pleased if Lieutenant Canavari had allowed himself to be induced to take a much required and well-deserved rest, but the plucky Blenheim resident, who has not been well for over six weeks, makes light of his illness, and sticks to his work like the soldier he has proved himself to be. Major Davis received a shock by the receipt of bills for nearly £500 from the Army Service Corps for regimental transports, used during our journej*, but inquiries at once instituted, elicited Lie fact that it was only a formal matter, co.-sj-quent upon all the regimental transports being taken from individual regimen:) and con» tingents, and placed under the immediate control of the Army Service Corps. This valuable arm of the service may obtain vouchers from the New Zealand Contingent to the amount named, but if I know our officers at all, there is very little chance of any money passing hands. The request was evidently merely. made to enable the Army Service Corps'to formally close their books up to date. The following day, Friday, March 23, saw the men in camp, paraded for arms inspection. ■ Major Davis had issued instructions to that effect the ! night previous, and it speaks volumes for the ; discipline of the New Zea landers when I say ; that promptly at the time appointed every man in camp was on parade. • Lieutenants Matthews and Johnson were the inspecting; officers, Sergeant-Major Burr being in charge. of the menu The lieutenants' report to ih»i

'"■■■' ' : major was that the arms were in' splendid con ■■■■■'< ditio'n,' and all- barrels ' beautifully : clean. Despite the fatigues of the past month, the ; men obeyed the words of command as ,: promptly as ever, giving striking testimony v-v ; to the efficiency of the non-coms., who compare favourably ■with those of the Imperial V^' corps with whom the New'Zealanders have : -: : .'come into contact. -''As a matter of fact, V • officers of the Lifeguards, 6th : Dragoon Wk Guards,' 6th Dragoons, sth Lancers, and 10th •"'■''Hussars,-with''- whom I have at times con- .." versed, -• state • that Regimental Sergeant- ":; Major.Rogers and Sergeant-Majors Cardale /Christchurch) and Burr (Wanganui) are splendid non-coms., who are in every way : : equal.to those of the best Imperial cavalry , regiments. This is praise, indeed, but the discipline of the New Zealanders during the whole campaign has been splendid, thanks ' to our officers, sergeant-majors,' the divisional sergeants, and subordinate non-coms. In the afternoon, in company with Lieutenants Matthews, Johnson, and Canavan, a visit was paid to the residence of a Free ' State farmer, who met the New Zealanders on their arrival Bloemfontein, and treated them right royally. To the tired and hungry men his kind attentions were most acceptable. We intended conveying thanks to the farmer, Mr. T. Lewton, for his goodness, but unfortunately he was absent from the homestead, and rain setting in we returned to camp. Learning that he was AN OLD NEW ZEALANDER, 1 forwarded copies of the last Auckland Weekly News to him, at which he was delighted. I learnt that he at one time resided in Wellington, after which he journeyed to Auckland, and that he had been a resident of the Orange Free State for many years. He waxed quite enthusiastic over ■the patriotic action of New Zealand, and simply devoured the contents of the papers from the colony, of which he still spoke in loving terms. * I gathered also that he was anxious for one of our boys to take over the management of his farm, wages £250 per annum with board and lodging, so that there is every probability of one of the New Zealand Contingent being installed as manager of the farm at the conclusion of the Avar. Another farmer, named Daniels, whom I met while riding from Kimberley to Bloemfontein, informed me that he would take one of our lads as overseer for the southern part of his farm (which portion consisted of 800 morgen, or 1600 acres) at a salary of £200 and commission on sales of sheep and oxen. If these tempting offers continue, the ranks of the returning New Zealanders will be considerably thinned, but the depletions will certainly be to the advantage of the chosen men. Saturday was mother quiet day so far as the New Zealanders at Bloemfontein were concerned, but we were somewhat surprised to learn that sniping parties of the Boers were located a few miles north of Bloemfontein on some rock and scrub covered kopjes ten miles east of where the main Boer position was intended to be. I say intended to be because the enemy, evidently anticipating an attack from the veldt near the main Kimberley-Bloemfontein road, had formed trenches and pits for a distance of several miles. They had taken up their position at this point prior to the arrival of the British army before Bloemfontein, but as Lord Roberts, with his usual astuteness, had brought his men several miles south of the main road, and had cleverly worked the cavalry division, with which the New Zealanders are associated, round the range of kopjes south of the capital, the Boers were beaten at their own game, and their extensive preparations went for nought. After the occupation of Bloemfontein the Boers must have posted sharpshooters on the kopjes, for when some of the officers of the sth Regiment of Mounted Infantry proceeded in that direction to indulge in gpring-bok shooting, they were suddenly surprised by the Boers, and the result was that there were FOUR OFFICERS SHOT. One subsequently died from his wounds, while the others lie in hospital. A search of the kopjes was subsequently made, but the enemy had fled northwards, probably to rejoin the main body of their comrades. The shots were said to have come from a dwelling near the kopjes, but no trace of the presence of Boers could be found in or about the house. A New Zealand mail arrived in the afternoon, and the Auckland Weekly News was read with avidity. It was with regret that I rtad of the disagreements caused in the matter of selection of officers of the Second Contingent. The general opinion is that amid all the enthusiasm of the New Zealanders and the spontaneous outburst of patriotism on the part of combatants and < non-combatants, it was to be deeply deplored that even one discordant note had been struck. By the same mail came official intimation from the Commander of the New Zealand Volunteer Forces in the colony that the Audit Department had refused to pay to relatives of some officers of the contingent certain sums which were fa be handed oyer to relatives, this understanding having been arrived at before the No. 1 Contingent left New Zealand, it being j agreed that corresponding deductions should | be made from the pay of the officers. Apparently this'agreement had not been ad-' hered to, application having been made for I certain payments, and the requests declined, through the intervention of the Audit De- j partment. * This is considered a distinct breach of faith on the part of those in New | Zealand responsible for the omission, and I has caused considerable adverse comment j from those interested. An explanatory | cablegram was despatched by Major Robin, I but this had evidently been mutilated in ] transmission, for a perplexing and mystify- , ing cablegram was received in reply.' Application has been made to the Telegraph ' Department to repeat the original cablegram,, and it is hoped that when this is done, the' Audit Department will not place obstacles I in the way of relatives drawing the amounts | agreed upon. There can be no risk of com-' plications arising when the Major has given I an assurance that deductions in proportion ! to the sums paid in the colony will be ma.de ' from the amounts due. Considerable dis- j appointment has been caused by the nonarrival in camp of the parcels, which the ; No. 1 Contingent were told hnd been forwarded by relatives and friends in the I colony, and despatched by the Waiwera. It' would appeal that the Imperial authorities \ require all the rolling stock available, and I consequently all parcels have been detained j at Capetown or some other base. When ! officers and men read of the warm clothing and edibles, not to speak of luxuries, that had been forwarded by those in New Zealand, they awaited the arrival of the Waiwera's parcels mail with some impatience. But- the parcels never came, and, as I have said, there has been general DISAPPOINTMENT IN CAMP. At the suggestion of Major Davies, who was m temporary charge of oui camp, I despatched a note to the contingent's friend, Mr Herbert Pjlcher, manager of the South ' British Insurance Company, Capetown, and ' asked him either to make arrangements for ' the consigning of the Darcels to the O C ' New Zealand Contingent. Bloemfontein." or : * superintend their storage until the members ' of the contingent could obtain the consent ' of the military authorities to have the pre- ' cious presents conveyed to our camp. From ( the promptitude and kindness shown on pre- '■ rSNer7 n e S >f lr - when asked to ' assist xNew Zealanders, we are confident tint 1 «Nttc ptffifefroinNcwZ(i|la(| against the mysterious incursions of those > unscrupulous individuals who apparent ' S\a fiendish delight in depriving £ St , warded by relatives and friends. Even I < ivarm «nd dry clothing, sometimes very „,; t ?en ■ v required, is not sacred from the hands ' of ™T„ mm as many of us know 1 rom bitter experience ; consequently the i precautions trfken for the preservation of, to 1 US, valuable presents from the colonv, are I absolutely necessary. (Parenthetically I , should remark that on letters and parcels 1 should be plainly written the number of the , contingent of which the addressee is a mem- « ber. Attention to this detail will save a t ot of confusion and disappointment.) , lapers containing the reproductions of mv ' photographs taken at nrunrlel and Slinks'- 1 fontem were in great demand, and many a , shout of aughter was heard in camp as „ , officers and men recognised comrades in the j splendid illustrations contained in the' 1 papers. On Sunday, March 25. I obtained , full particulars of the unfortunate 1 INCIDENT AT KAREE SIDING, north of Bloemfontein, by which an officer of the Grenadier Guards was killed, and I three others wounded. The party' con- ( sisted of Colonel Eyre Crabbe, Commandant nf that particular camp belonging to Lord ( Roberts' column, Colonel Codnngton, of the Coldstream Guards ; Captain Trotter and 6 ■ Lieutenant Lygon (staff officer). The ( • primary object of the expedition was to ob- , tain forage from the adjacent farms. Forage { ; is ) paid for. \ not commandeered, as many ;

l- people /.think, and military receipts are i. • usually given for,the quantities taken. rAt 10 the Karee railway siding, which the Boers is had evidently just left, it was found that all f the telegraphic instruments had been re--1-; moved, and there was every indication that il the '■ enemy had been in the vicinity that e morning. Proceeding in a northerly" direcV tion the party' discovered several Boers, n mounted and standing on the ridge of a h kopje. 'Without thinking of the conse- .- quences of his rashness, Colonel Crabbe said - he intended to " round the Boers up," and e calling to the others to follow, dashed at 3 the enemy. Some of his companions proT tested, but the Colonel disregarded their re- ' marks and kept on. The Boers moved away 5 as though anxious to avoid coming into con--3 tact with the Imperial officers, but as the i pursuit was maintained they suddenly doubled back and took up positions behind ■ the ridge of another kopje closer to the intrepid quartette. The latter separated at [ the foot of the kopje, and were commenc- ! ing to work round the base of the hills when | the Boers suddenly opened fire from their , protected position on the summit. They • made splendid shooting. Colonel Crabbe's ' horse was shot at the first volley, and in a ' few seconds this officer had bullets through his arm and thigh. Colonel Codrington was shot in the groin as he sought cover with the intention of returning the enemy's fire. Lieutenant Lygon, who was some distance away, was darting forward to take cover behind an anthill, when ping, and a bullet entered his breast and went right through I the heart. He gave a low moan and fell

lifeless on the veldt. His companion, Captain Trotter, was moving towards the prostrate subaltern, when he received an expanding bullet through the elbow, and was placed hors-de-combat. The single orderly accompanying the officers was shot through the leg, so that a i few moments after the Boers had opened fire, three officers and the trooper were lying wounded, and the fourth officer was stiffening in death. Colonel Crabbe then made signs that he surrendered, and the Boers came down into the open. They expressed regret that they had been compelled to shoot, and said they had done all that was possible to avoid a conflict, but the English officers had behaved foolishly, and had, brought their punishment on themselves. The Boers paid great attention to the wounded men, and skilfully applied a tourniquet to Captain Trotter's arm, and as the wound was bleeding profusely this possibly saved his life. The Boers carried the dead and wounded to an adjoining farm, and subsequently despatched a Kaffir runner to the British camp to inform some of the staff officers of the conflict and its results. On Sunday the officers were conveyed back to camp, and the lieutenant buried on a grassy plot near a Kaffir kraal. There was a large attendance at the funeral, the headquarters staff being well represented. Subsequently Captain Trotter had his arm amputated, and at time of writing all are making fair progress towards recovery. The affair was most regrettable, particularly at the present time, and it is whispered that Lord Roberts, while regretting the loss of a valuable officer and the wounding of others, expressed his disapproval of the adoption of such foolish tactics. From what has transpired since the engagement occurred, I do not anticipate a repetition of such conduct on the part of Imperial officers. The same day VETERINARY LIEUTENANT NEALE, of Wellington, visited our camp. Since leaving the New Zealanders he has been transferred to the staff of the Fifth Mounted Infantry, and his place practically filled by an es-New Zealander, Lieutenant Douglas mention of whom I have already made Lieutenant Neale stated that he was quite close to the firing line at the Paardeberg fight, and that he was several times under hre If this were the case, Lieutenant : Aeale simply exposed himself unnecessarily tor a. veterinary surgeon's position is supposed to be on a par with that taken up by the medicos in attendance on the ambulance. The New Zealander is camped about eight miles north of "The Sanatorium," by which title our camp is designated on account of its elevated position. Monday March 26, was another quiet day. General French returned to Bloemfontein after accompanying the Second Cavalry Brigade some distance north-west. No Boers were seen, and all appeared quiet. One of the staff officers then, with whom I conversed, informed me that nearly all the fanners were" | m occupation of their'farms, and there apj peared to be no inclination on the part of the Free State burghers on that side of Bloemfontein, to resume hostilities. To counterbalance this, however, came authentic information that many of the burghers in the districts north-east of the capital were trekking eastwards to join commandos officered by Transvaakrs, who were evi- I dently waiting to reinforce that portion of the Boer amy working northwards from the southern borders of the Orange Free j State and Cape Colony. From this one. I would conclude that the Boers who have I been opposing Generals Gatacre and j Clements are moving rapidly northwards to join the main body of the' Federals. At j the other camp Major Robin reported that j everything was quiet, and that men and ! horses were faring well. Trooper Saunders , (Cliristchurch) had been sent into hospital, i arid Sergeant Rockstrow had been detailed | to proceed to our second camp for the purj pose of attending to some necessary routine ! duties. Sergeant Pitt (Auckland),'who has I '■ superintended the orderly duties, also left ; camp and proceeded eastwards, but all the 1 New Zealanders arc expected to junction in a few days, Major Haigh (staff) having informed Major Davies that mounted infantry ; were to replace the New Zealanders. Re- | mounts were expected on the day noted, but ' again our boys were doomed to disappointment. The railway was said to have been blocked at Norval's Font with forage and rations, and these will probably be pushed [ forward first. Corporal McKegg (Henloy, ! near Dnnedin), and Trooper E. Palmer, from the same district, received intimation that three remounts (two for Palmer and one for McKcgg) had been forwarded with others by relatives and friends, per dirct steamer from New Zealand, and Major Davies, who (loon everything possible in the interests of both officers and men, promised to wire the officer commanding at Capetown, and endeavour to arrange for the conveyance to our camp at Bloemfontein of all available HORSES FOR THE NEW ] ZEALANDERS. As there are fully 40,000 men scattered round the capital, the work of victualling them and obtaining provender for the horses is no light task, and the capacity of ' the railway is taxed to the utmost. There is only a single line of rails, so that the conveyance of the immense supplies 'necessary for such a large army is necessarily tardy. Before returning to our tents for the night, we were surprised to learn that the Boers wero congregating in force some miles , north of the position taken up by the burghers who played such havoc with the i Grenadier and Coldstream Guards officers, General French had been instructed by Field- ' Marshal Lord Roberts to proceed north- ! wards with cavalry and ascertain the enemy's i position and strength, and with the prompti- , tude that has characterised his previous . actions, French had his men ready for action. ' They had commissariat waggons in readiness, , and all preparations were made to move off ( at daybreak on the following morning (Tues- , day). Before the sun had risen from behind ) the distant kopjes the gallant General, whom l; 1 lie New Zealanders look upon as " t'ieir , leader," and his men, moved off and proceed- ( ing first west, soon had left the hills above ; Bloemfontein behind him. Then the column ; slowly and cautiously, but surely, worked .<■ up in a northerly direction and camped be- 1 hind a protecting range of kopjes to the i east and affording splendid shelter from t shell and small fire. No attempt was made t to precipitate matters, scouting parties being c sent out to reconnoitre and locate the enemy, i The latter, however, declined the chal- i lenge, and apparently withdrew several ( miles in a northerly direction. I under- > stand that in the interval between the gather- n ing of the Boer forces and the departure from I Bloemfontein of General French, what re- a mained of the Orange Free State Volksraad had met and discussed the position. The c DUPLICITY OF PRESIDENT STEYN j was referred to, also the proclamation issued s by Lord Roberts, after which it was formerly t decided to tender their submission, as re- B jiresentatives of the Orange Free State, to a Great Britain. Though the Union Jack had c waved over the Presidency for several days, \ and our forces bad been in occupation of the t capital, this formal act of submission on the i part of the burghers, our representatives, a had a beneficial effect on many Free Staters 1 who still carried arms, and there is every i

probability that the withdrawal of the Boer forces on the approach of General French and his cavalry, was in a large measure due to the official act of the remnants of the Yolksroad." Strange to say, on the 1 same date (Tuesday, March 27) SIB ALFRED MILNER arrived at Bloemfonrein. Lord Roberts and staff proceeded to the station, and the meeting of the Field-Marshal and the High Commissioner was a most cordial one. His Excellency, who is most popular, was well received, and though no formal reception ceremony was gone through, the welcome accorded to Sir Alfred by Lord Roberts and rtaff was as sincere as it was spontaneous. But at times such as these, when the fates of Republics are decided iilj a day, ceremonials are dispensed with. There were important affairs of State to be discussed, the wiles of diplomacy to be exercised, and the honour and dignity of Motherland to be upheld withal. A dance at the countenances of the OommaaJßJaf the British Forces and the representatmHß Cape Colony of Her Majesty the Queen, as they flashed past in the Field-Marshal's carriage, showed that each fully recognised the onerous nature of the important task allotted them. Upon returning to the New Zealandnrs' camp, an unpleasant duty devolved upon me. The, telegraph orderly handed me a telegram from Capetown, containing the intelligence of the DEATH OF TROOPER JENKS, of Auckland, whom I had last seen at Rondebosch Hospital, No. 3. I informed Major Davies (who had not received the official intimation from the hospital authorities), officers, and men. The sad news cast quite a gloom over the camp, for the Aucklander was a general favourite with both officers and comrades. "Poor Jenks," one of his Auckland chums said to me," he was n white man. When I saw him knocked out at Kleinfontein, he said he would not be away from us long, but he will never parade with US again. All the boys liked Jenks, and he would do anything to oblige a comrade." The deceased Aucklandei was injured at Kleinfontein, which was our extreme es 'tern flank when General French was endeavouring to surround Colesberg. He was riding his horse across tho veldt, when the animal put its foot into an anthole, stumbled, and fell. Jenks was thrown to the ground with considerable violence, receiving rather severe injuries to his back. At first it was thought he was paralysed, but a careful examination by Dr. Burns proved that such was not the case. The doctor did all that was possible for the injured man, and he improved somewhat, but it was deemed advisable to send him to the hospital at Capetown, his destination being Rondebosch No. 3. While there he was visited by Mr. Pilcher and your correspondent, and appeared to be growing stronger every day. There seemed to be no sign of fever, but Jenks complained very much of his back, and was evidently suffering from shock. Mr. Pilcher, with his usual kindness, arranged to keep the New Zealanders in the hospital (there were five iu all) supplied with papers, magazines, and delicacies, and Mr. Chas. Arnold, the wellknown actor, promised to send a consignment of grapes for the Mttorilanders. Upon my return to camp I reported to Major Davie's as to Jenks' condition. Fever must have subsequently set in, and to our general regret the Aucklander expired on the date mentioned. To die during an action, with the roar of battle in one's' ears, with shells bursting, and bullets whistling round, is bad enough, but to pass through engagements unscathed, and then to succumb to fever, is doubly hard. 'the sympathies of officers and men of the contingent are tendered to the dea. ',ies in New Zealand who mourn his loss. Up to date we have lost seven men killed, and 17 missing. Sergeant Gourlay (Dunedin), Troopers Bradford (Auckland), Booth (Oamaru), and Connell (Auckland)— killed or died from wounds received in action; while three, Troopers Patterson (Inglewood), Burrows (Marlborough), and Jenks (Auckland), succumbed to enteric fever in the hospital. So far as the New Zealanders are concerned, they are enjoying A WELL-EARNED REST. Horses are still in very poor condition, men fatigued, and both they and horses required good food. Our rations have improved, and fresh meat is served out. with tinned vegetables. Our cooks, Townsend and Gestro, by intercepting farmers' carts, obtained potatoes and other vegetables, and we even revelled in the luxury of fritters and puddings ! After biscuits, bully beef, and dirty water, from the now foul-smelling Modder, this luxurious menu came as a wholesome relief The horses, however, fared badlv. and for this I blame the absurdly parsimonious manner in which they nave been fed. First of all, they were designated colonial horses, as distinct from English horses, colonial including New Zealand as well as African ponies. While the English horses were foraged on 121h of oats, or equivalent per day, the equivalent usually being chaff, hay. and mealies up to 201b, "the New Zealand horses received Sib of mealies, not properly crushed, per day. In the intervals they were taken out. to graze, but officers and men were unanimous in expressing the opinion that their horses should have been placed on an equal footing with the English' animals. ' It was this lack of food that prevented our horses from getting into decent condition, ' and prevented the First New Zealand Contingent from putting more than 80 wellconditioned horses in the field after the march from Kimberley to Bloemfontein. Despite these disadvantages we did much better than some of the cavalry regiments. The 6th Dragoon Guards (Carabineers), who, so far as active service is concerned, had about equal pegging with the New Zealanders, could only muster 80 out of 400, while the entire Ist Cavalry Brigade, who were sent out after the battle of Thabanchu, only numbered 280 out of about 900. Dur- : ing the latter part of the week news came of the ; DEATH OF GENERAL JOUBERT, < the Boer Commander-in-Chief, which had a ] telling effect upon the morale of the enemy. ' When the official intimation of Joubert's '< death was conveyed to Lord Roberts, the latter ordered the telegraph lines to be cleared, l and despatched a telegram of condolence to \ President Kruger. Some of the members of I THE SECOND CONTINGENT ' have been attached as portion of Lord Kit- t chener's bodyguard, and have won great i praise for the splendid manner in which they ( have conducted themselves. Trooper ( Roberts (Second Contingent), who is a nephew ' of Lord Kitchener, has been given a commission as .subaltern in Kitchener's Light s Horse, and, from what I can gather, he" is ' likely to prove an efficient and" painstaking I officer. ' ° b