WITH THE FOURTH CONTINGENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11540, 27 November 1900, Page 6

WITH THE FOURTH CONTINGENT.

INTERESTING LETTER FROM DR. • ' ■ NEIL.

Surgeon-Captain J. H. Neil, of the Fourth Contingent, writing from Oliphant's Nek, near Rustenburg, under date October 15, to a friend in Auckland, says;— left Ottoshoop at 3 a.m., the infantry consisting of the Northamptons and the Northumberland Fusiliers. There was also the 37th Battery, a battery of quick-firing 15-pound-ers (six guns in a battery), three pom-poms and three Maxims. So the column was fairly strong. The New Zealanders consisted of the Otago and Auckland sections of the Fourth Contingent, and the Fifth Contingent (except the Aucklanders). As there have been official complaints made by the Auckland portions of the Fourth and Fifth Cofitingents about their medical treatment, I would like to mention that the Auckland Fourth ' had been separated from the staff of the Fourth Contingent and that they only came under my care when we left Ottoshoop on the present journey. ■ The other surgeon has been left behind with the details at Ottoshoop. 3 „ . " The column is under command of General Douglas, who is subordinate to Lord Methuen. The latter left Ottoshoop by a different route for Lichtenberg. As soon as daylight broke, the Boers, who were on kopjes commanding our route, opened fire. The tack-tuck, tack-tuck, became continuous. They soon got our range, and little spurts of dust were raised all round. Trooper Atkinson, of Parnell, was the first casualty, his horse falling on him and contusing his knee. Two others, South Islanders, got bullets in their arms, and I was becoming more and more certain that the small Red Cross brassard worn by field - surgeons was simply useless as a protection, as it could not be seen beyond 400 yds. Next a Bushman (New South Wales), whilst galloping behind the Aucklanders, was hit in the chest, the bullet just grazing, or rather missing, his great vessels. Poor chap, he was very faint from pain and shock. His mates were foolishly standing around him, and drawing the fire of the Boers on him. Although the fire slackened when they went off, it quickly got warm again, and one particularly vicious squeal past my nose almost made me drop the brandy-flask. I was never more relieved in my life when we got him away on a stretcher. Soon after this a troop of Aucklanders got within 300vds of an ambush of Boers, and a man named Canavan got a bullet in just behind his left ear. It emerged over his temple, and only caused a slight concussion. He adjured me to tell his comrades to give the Boers 'fits.' There were some Boers in a swamp near the place we camped that day. so the reeds were fired, and our friends smoked out. " The prisoners are all very much alike in dress—a very fourth-class felt slouch hat, with a crape band as a sign of mourning, a shabby overcoat without cape, and reaching below" the knees ; an unkempt beard ornaments a face that seems eternally dirty; | boots made of half-tanned hidj, with or without (most often) socks. We had a pleasant march next day, but on the following morning an Aucklander named Swan was struck by a bullet in his left arm, which at the time was across his stomach, as he was pulling up his horse for a halt. The bullet went through a bone in his forearm (ulna), and, completely piercing the limb and his tunic, simply bruised his ribs, and was found in his shirt. If that is not luck, then what is? That day we saw a pom-pom of the ißoers at work on tho Fifth Contingent. It is horribly demoralising, but its bark is far worse than its bite. Only one man was touched, and he only by some splinters. " Two days afterwards a Bushman officer, named White, rode up to a Boer waggon in which the Boers had held up their hands. On getting up to 50yds they fired at him and his corporal. Poor White (he was such a nice fellow) was shot and taken prisoner. His corporal, when dying, said that White was only injured in the shoulder, and that he (White) said he was all right when the Boers were taking him away. Two days afterwards the Boers brought White in with a bullet through his heart. ! "In the town of Lichtenberg I was fortunate enough to get three surgical panniers that the Boers had got possession of when General Hunter evacuated the town to return to Kimberley. They were a blessing to me. as also was a tent that the field hospital had left. The local schoolhouse, that was turned into a hospital, contained three Boers who had been wounded in the recent fighting. Their wounds were suppurating, and they looked ghastly from the rough journey down from the mountains. " The daughter of the landdrost, or magistrate, was chief nurse, and told me that she had been nursing in the lioer lines at Fourteen Streams and Kimberley, where they had many enteric fever cases. Incidentally she mentioned that the Dutch thought the life of a burgher worth those of 200 khakis, or rooineks, and that was the reason why the Boers did not storm Mafeking and Kimberley. While she was thus gently belabouring the English, the troopers who came with me to get the panniers made a reconnaisance of her sittingroom, and in the twinkling of an eye had even-thing portable out and into the waggon. A nurse rushed in and told us in a hysterical manner, and then there was a row. The jabbering and screeching ended only when everything was brought back. Eventually she begged a pound of cotton wool, and insinuated that the soldiers had stolen all her candles. However, I must say she was a patriot, and although she knew her people were in the wrong, thought that they should fight to the end for independence. " After a wearisome two days' march to Baber's Pan, through a dry, hot, windy, dusty country, we joined Lord Methuen's column, consisting of the Munster Fusiliers, the North Lancashires, under Colonel Kekewich (pronounced Kekewick), and some squadrons of the Kimberley Light Horse. The latter and the Bushmen pushed on, and captured about 20 Boers, 600 oxen, and 2000 sheep, and, above all, one of tne guns that Colonel Long lost at Colenso, and a Maxim. The camp at the Pan (small salt lake) avis really horribly dusty and hot, and the wind was fearful. I simply lay and sweltered during the day.

" Our column came back through Liehtenberg, and I had a chat with a German Boer doctor, who introduced me to Mrs and Miss De la Key. The poor oldf lady was very anxious about he.- husband (the General), and hoped that if captured he would be well treated. She said that she as very sorry that the war still went on, but that she could suffer for her independence. She had changed her opinion about the British soldiers, and now knew that they were wellbehaved, and not ' savages,' and that the English officers were very kind to her.

' " Soon after leaving Lichtenberg, 11 Bushmen, undlai a Lieutenant Rudkin, were ordered to ride up to a farmhouse, and demand the surrender of some Boers in it. On getting up to within 15yds, the Boers, who had hitherto been passive, opened fire, and wounded seven out of the 11. Five of the woundls must be fatal, as they are abdominal, and one who had been struck by an expanding bullet in the back, suffered frightfully.

" During the last three days we have been (travelling along a beautiful valley, that contains beautiful orange groves. The soil has been washed down from the mountain sides, and is as rich as garden mould. Lilac trees, that at this, the spring time, gave out a beautiful perfume, are foundl all along. The trees are all in green and bud. The clear streams are lined by willows, and everywhere are patches of oats and other crops. We have been delighted with . the change, for during the last five months we have been on the march through dry, dusty, monotonous veldt. We have just got news of the capture of a large number of guns, and a general smashing up the Boer forces in the north. The troopers will not be sorry to get a rest from the eternal march and trek.

" During the last month we have roused at three a.m., and started at half-past four, marching through two hours of the cold before dawn. One passes masses of shivering Tommies, batteries of artillery, and transport waggons in endless array. Soon, however, after the sun has come up, the veldt begins to glimmer, and the heat becomes overpowering. We stop at about ten o'clock, and get ready to avoid the sun's advances. The men are generally in the. best of health, and up to date there are no casualties amongst the

Aucklandbrs that may lead .to fatal consequences. They are a good lot, and 'work very well. The Dandy Fourth are in many cases sockless. If those Auckland ladies who were so kind with their clothing, for the sick had " sent some of the above-men-tioned articles to the medical officers, we might have adorned! some of the men ; but, however, I have plenty of medical comforts for the Fourth. We are going to Rustenberg shortly, but I believe the place is desolate. The Boers are feeling what war is now." ■ '