WHY THE NEW ZEALANDERS JOINED THE REGULARS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11431, 23 July 1900, Page 5

WHY THE NEW ZEALANDERS JOINED THE REGULARS.

Trooper A. B. Wild, a To Aroha member of the Fifth Contingent, writing to a relative from Marandollaa on Juno 3, says:— arnved hero a few days ago, and expect soon to be on the march to Buluwnyo. Wo wore camped at Boira for a fortnight, in a nice, position on the plain, where there was plenty of grass, firewood, and wator, and had a grand time, Wo loft Boira on a Sunday afternoon, and tiino we did, what with snakes, dead horses, and sick men, things wero getting rather unpleasant. Wo arrived next morning at Bamboo Creek, 60 miles away. Wo spent a week at Bamboo Creek, a very unhealthy place Men were sent every day to the hospital suffering from fever and dysentery. We were troublod at this camp with lions and hyenas. They made a great noise at night, roaring round the horse-lines. Tho guards often had a shot at them during tho night, but could never hit them. They fired at a big lion one morning just a few yards off, but got 60 excited they could not hit him. A sad accident happened hero a short time back. A few officers went out shooting, and ono of thorn fired at an object in the grass, which turned out to bo a soldior wash-

ing his clothes at a wator-holo. Tho shot smashed his leg, and the poor follow had to have his leg cut off. Wo left on tho 28th for Marandellas. It took us two days and nights travelling in the train to got here. This is a nice healthy place, and a hospital is situated re, but I am sorry to say that a lot of our kys are in it, suffering from fover and dysentery that they contracted at Bamboo Creek. Wo have now joined in a body tho No. 1 15-pounder battery Royal Field Artillery. Tho reason wo joined was this: Wo heard that tho Now Zealandors were to be kept here to catch stray Boers, and to keep tho natives in order. This was too slow foi us, an(( they were wanting men to man a battery straight away. We volunteered and wore accented, and just, as well, for our horses are dying fast from horse-sickness. Wo leave- in a few days now for Buluwayo; we have our artillery 'horses and harness and cannons ready, and aro waiting for ammunition, and then wo movo on to tho front.

LETTER FROM A TROOPER IN KITCHENER'S HORSE.

Tiooper A. Tufnel!, an Aucklander, who j joined Kitchener's South African Light Horse, writes to his relatives as follows: — "Winberg, Orange River Colony, June 3, 1900. Wo loft Capetown for here a week last, Wednesday, and came as far as Blocmfontein by train. The journey by train was very monotonous; the country hero is nothing but hills and kopjes, and little flats, and perhaps for miles neither water nor trees, nothing but stones and little grass. We arrived in Bloemfontein yesterday week, and were marched to a camp of about 30,000 men. On .Monday, after breakfast, wo marched off to get horses, and a very poor lot they are. The same day, at noon, in the square in, Blocmfontein, in the presence of 20,000 troops, the British flap was hoisted, and the Orange Free State declared British territory, and renamed the Orange River Colony. Bloemfontein is not a large place as we understand cities, but it is large when compared with other towns hen We left, Blocmfontein on Tuesday, about four p.m., and rode on until we reached a place where we camped for the night, called 'The Glenn. 1 You may have seen the name in the papers as where some fighting took place. We arrived about half-past ten, and as I had to go on picket, did not get any sleep that night. We started again in the morning, and rode all day until we reached a place called Brand fort. The day before we arrived the wires were cut by the Boers, so that night we were told to be prepared to bo called out at any minute, but nothing happened, so we had not to get up until five a.m. We started again about nine a.m., and camped again about five, or soon after, at a deserted farm, and here was fired the first shot from our squadron. We nad six sentries posted out round the camp, and soon after twelve o'clock one of the sentries was heard to challenge someone four times, and got no answer, so he fired. I, with the others, was lying down (we sleep on a waterproof (meet, and rolled in a blanket, with our saddles for pillows, bandoliers on, and rifle by side) when the shot was fired; it did not take me long, I can tell you, to roil over and fill the magazine of mv rifle, and then lie back behind my saddle, quite ready to fire if the order was given. But it only turned out to be a Boer returning from the front, and, as he had a pass, we could only let him go on after he had been well searched. That lias been the only excrement we have had so far. In the morning we left, and arrived here (at Winbcrg) bit night (Saturday). This afternoon a iofc of the Grenadier Guards, with a convoy, arrived. They were attacked by Boars about 48 miles from here, and had .150 wounded and 32 killed. They were obliged to leave behind the wounded who were too bad to be removed, and the Boers set fiiv to tho grass and burnt them to death, and thoso who managed to crawl out of the flames they shot. Tho remainder errived here with the convoy about three o'clock. I must draw this to a close, as I have to fall in in 10 minutes. You must excuse the writing, as I am using my water-bottle as a desk, and writing by the'light of a piece of candle I managed to get hold of. Harmonica, June 10, 1900.—You will see by the address that we are still moving. We left Winberg for here, via Senekal (the place where the Guards lost so many men). Where we are camped now there are Boers about two miles away, in the hills. We have reached our destination under convoy, so supposo we shall be sent out scouting soon, as I believe wo leave here to-morrow and go to join General Brabant about six miles away, I cannot tell you much about where we are going, as we never really know until wo are told to saddle up."