WITH THE FIFTH CONTINGENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVII, Issue 11542, 29 November 1900, Page 5

WITH THE FIFTH CONTINGENT.

A TRYING MARCH. [FROM OUR'sr-ECIAL WAR CORRESPONDENT.] (By Telegraph from Christchurch.) Port Tuei, October 5. Since last writing, the Canterbury squadron, with their reinforcements, spent another six days in camp at Ijasuto Kopje, Crocodile Pools.' On September 4 Captain Philips was ordered to join Sir F. Carrington, and a pnrt of his staff at Gaberones, whence they all went back to Bulawayo. Captains Philips and Tylei, both of the Royal Engineers, have since come through from Bulawayo to Tuli, and have gone on to Rhodes Drift. These officers directed the work of entrenching, mounting the big guns, etc., at Lobatsi, Crocodile Pools, and Basuto Kopje (about 1800 miles from Crocodile Pools railway station), and will take charge of the same work at Rhodes Drift, and Crocodile River, where the Canterbury troops and a part of the Imperial Yeomanry are to take up a position in a few days.

FROM CROCODILE POOLS TO TULI. On September 7 all the troops of the 14th Company left the camp at Basuto Kopje for the railway station, and on the Bth, men and horses were entrained for Palapye (150 miles northwards towards Bulawayo), which was reached next day. Here we had to stay two days to wait the arrival of the transport waggons sent out by King Khama. When these, 13 in number, were all loaded, we star-ted inland to the north-east, on the most trying inarch we have yet undertaken. The road is a mere bullock track, worn, rather than made, through bush, scrub, and sand. In places the horses sank knee-deep into the sand, and the waggons for the first few days were got along by double-banking the spans, and by getting fresh oxen. The water at many-places was undrinkable, and the temperature in the shade ranged from 97 degrees to 103 degrees. Yet both men and horses stood the journey well, only about three men having to take to the waggons. On the second day out from Palapye the troops came up with the ambulance corps, under Surgeon-Captain De Renzy. This corps had been sent out from its headquarters at Bulawayo to Zeerust. It was on the field at Ottoshoof, where Captain Harvey fell on the enemy. Moving northwards Captain De Renzy and staff were ordered back to accompany the troops marching from the north towards Pietrosburg, Khama's country. In travelling from Crocodile Pools to Palapye, and then on to Tub, we passed through a long stretch of Khama's country. Along the line from Macalapye and inland, as far as Maclouski, the land, as far as could be seen to the right or left, is almost perfectly level, and is by far the best we have as yet passed through. The n itives in their crude way have cultivated considerable blocks all along the roadside. The soil is for the most part of a. rich black. Now and again we came across patches of the well-known red sand of Africa, but there appeared to be little or no rock such as characterises that part of Rhodesia we passed through. Everywhere we have been we have noticed two kinds of shrubs. One is an evergreen, with a large split leaf. The other is a rough, thorny shrub. These, like the thistle of New Zealand, seem to indicate the nature of the soil. In places where any cultivation was done the former was always to be found, and it was this shrub we noticed growing all over the land from Macalapye, to about 20 miles beyond Maclouski, when the country becomes at once dry, rocky, and barren.

CHANGES IN THE STAFF AND MEN. On the removal of Captain Philips to Bulawa.ro, Lieutenant Tuckcy, of the Wellington Company, was appointed staff officer, and his detachment in charge of the Maxim and Hotchkiss was joined to the Canterbury squadron. The following are the men o*f this squad:—Sergeant Hurley, Corporal Blake, Lnnce-Corporal Waite, Troopers Findlay, Tester, Andrews, and Pethingell. Sergeant Hurley and Lance-Corporal Waite have been reduced to the ranks for losing their way while out shooting without leave. Lance-Corporal Lumi, who has been our chief veterinary surgeon, has resigned, and is now in the ranks. Sergeant-Major GlendCning has been placed on the colonel's staff, ana Sergeant Watt is now acting Ser--Major. AN IMPERIAL COMMISSION. The friends of Trooper Guy Westland Geddis will be pleased to learn that he has been recommended for a commission in the Imperial army. He will probably be attached to a cavalry regiment, which he will join as soon as discharged from his company. Geddis is the son of Mr. C. T. Geddis, a barrister, of Calcutta, India, who is about to retire from the Bar. He has been only twelve months in New Zealand, where he was a cadet on Tripp's station in South Canterbury. He is about 19 years of age, is a genial young fellow, and has become' a great favourite amongst the men. All his comrades join in wishing him a marked career. THE CAMP AT TULI. We are camped right on the bank of the Shansi River,, about half-a-mile from the fort. The battery to which we formed an escort on the march is camped to the south of us, and a body of: the Imperial Yeomanry, undter Colonel Park?, is stationed on the other side of the river, about two miles south of Captain De Revizy's Ambulance Corps. Most of our time is occupied in attending to the horses, and in field parades under Colonel Wood. The battery, which is under the command of Captain Dalgleish, is formed of about 50 New Zealanders, taken chiefly from the Fourth and Fifth Contingents. 'There are two Qiteenslanders amongst them, and also Lance-Corporal Campbell, of Waimate, Troopers Gardiner, Leslie, and Childo. formerly of the Canterbury squadron, and Edwards, soa of Judge Edwards. SICK MEN. On the march, and since arrivi«, here, the men have had splendid health. Before leaving Crocodile Pools Troopers Stanley, Hodgson, Roe, and Le Grange, were sent to Mafeking Hospital, suffering from enteric fever, and on arriving at Falapye, Taylor and Clough (of Chatham Island) had to be sent on to Bulawayo. Clough was badly scalded by pouring a billy of boiling water over his thighs. Sergeant Hill is now in the ambulance hospital, under treatment for his eyes. Bugler Chegwin, who was in Mafeking with a poisoned arm, came back to camp before receiving his discharge, to avoid being invalided. He is quite recovered. ! I