THE SIXTH CONTINGENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11562, 28 January 1901, Page 5

THE SIXTH CONTINGENT.

INSPECTION BY LIEUTENANTV COLONEL WHITE.

I The majority of the members oi the Aucki land section of the Sixth Contingent . were 8 granted leave of absence on Saturday foreI noon for the',' purpose of arranging their § private affairs before leaving; for South | Africa.'.. ■ - '-; , i ; '■'• ' ' I In for afternoon, the presence their private affairs before leaving., for South Africa. In the afternoon, in the presence of a | large gathering of onlookers, the troops, fully- | equipped, were reviewed by LieutenantI Colonel White (officei commanding the district). §trict). Captain Reid (district adjutant), acting aas staff officer. The parade was called for § half-past three, out the men, not being turn|ed cut properly, the parade was not held I until about four o'clock. They were then 3 formed up in line by Captain Markham, and 1 inspected by the Colonel, after which they I were ordered to march past. The points 1 were put out by Captain Reid, but before I I the inarch past had been completed the I troops got mixed up, and had to be halted. | They were rearranged, and the movement a was then properly carried through. The mis- j I takes naturally gave the impression that the | men were not up in their work, but jt can-: |not be said that they were responsible, rs j 1 they have been doing splendidly throughout, l { and would have executed the march past cor-1 rectly the first time had the orders, been | ! right. They were . then divided into four j 'divisions and exercised in extended move- jj ! roonta by the permanent instructors, carry-1 ing out the movements in a manner that re- | fleeted credit on all concerned. The troops | were afterwards assembled, drawn up in a j hallow square, and addressed by Colonel 1 White, who complimented them on their ap-1 pearance, advised them to do their utmost to § become good shots, and impressed upon them jj the necessity for obedience and discipline. |

| FAREWELL SERVICE AT ST. MARY'S. 9 On Sunday forenoon the members of the j Sixth Contingent, under Acting-Captain I Markham, officer commanding, and Lieuten- | ant Syke, were marched to St. Mary's proj.Cathedral, Parnell, where a farewell service If was held, the Rev. Trevor Evershed preachi ing. The troops, for whom a spaco was J reserved, had the second button from the top j of their tunics covered with black, and the I officers wore mourning bands on the left arm, just above the elbow. Tho altar was draped in black, with black hangings behind, and in I place the vases usually containing flowers in black, with black hangings behind, and in place ot tho vases usually containing flowers were two mourning wreathos. The chancel screen, the organ, the pulpit, and the read-ing-desk were also draped with black, and | mourning was generally _ observed by the 1 members of the congregation, -which number|cd upwards of 800. Preparatory to the serI vice in connection with the contingent, the I Dead March was impressively played on tho ] organ by the church organist, Mr. R. Leslie j Hunt, tho congregation standing, this being j as a token of the mourning foi Her late | Majesty tho Queen. j The Rev. Evershed based his sermon on jj Joshua i. 16, "And they answered Joshua, 3 saying, ' All that thou commandest us we | shall do, and whithersoever thou sendest us jwe will go.' " Dealing with the reply of the I tribes in offering to go over with Joshua and 1 help tho rest of tho brethren, the preacher 1 emphasised thoii obedience, 'faith, and self* 1 offering, and then drew attention to the im|plioit obedience shown by Lord Roberts to | his Sovereign • when called upon to go to {j South Africa, pointing out that the 'Field--i Marshal had promptly responded to tho call, I saying, " I must obey my Queen." Ho then | went on to illustrate the implicit faith of the I tribes by showing how they had immediately 3 offered to go where Joshua should see fit to I send them, no matter what was before then, | and then urged upon the troops to follow the :< splendid example thus held up to I them, and to sot aside all ques--3 tion of loot or commandeering. I During the service a sentence of the burial J service was said by the Rev. F. W. Young, J who is filling supply in the absence of the j Rev. Geo; Mac Murray, and special tymns | were sung by the full choir, these includI ing, "Oh God, Our Help in Ages Past," i " Comrades, Hark, the Call is Sounded"— ] the latter being the battle hymn ox the No. ) 1 Battalion Auckland Infantryand "On i ward, Christian Soldiers." Immediately beI fore tho benediction the first verse of tho j revised national anthem, "God Save the J King," was sung, the troops presenting arms, I and then tho Archbishop of Armagh's I ! prayer was said, this being followed by the f I short litany for the soldiers. The troopers,! ! acting on the request of the preacher, re-1 ' tained the service papers (containing, the p prayer'.and--litfcny) handed them, and will ) take them to South Africa with them. " '' J On Sunday afternoon there war an un- i usually large attendance of the public at the t contingent camp, many being relatives and 1 friends of the troopers. j The Government Stock Inspector, Mr. 1 Clifton, will be in attendance at the Do- jj main camp this afternoon at two o'clock, 1 when horses on offer as troopers' mounts l will be inspected, and if found suitable, pur- | chased. j Yesterday the Mayor received the follow- j ing telegram from the Hon. Jas. McGowan, 1 Minister for Mines:—"The Acting-Premier jj having sprained his ankle will be unable to 1 attend the send-off on Tuesday. Ho has 1 therefore asked me to represent the Go- I vernment. _ I will leave Coromandel for 1 Auckland direct on Monday per Rotoma- 1 hana." f The Mayor received the following tele- | gram yesterday from Colonel Pole-Penton, j Commandant of the Forces:—"The Corn- f wall, with tho Sixth Contingent, sailed from i Wellington for Auckland at 11.15 this morn- i! ing (Sunday)." |

THE CORNWALL.

I The New Zealand Times says : —Considered 8 as a troopship, the Cornwall is perhaps the | finest vessel which has yet been chartered Ito cany our men to South Africa. Roomy | and well-appointed quarters, excellently [j lighted throughout with electric light, and I with every convenience for victualling the 1 men, there need be little fear that the Sixth | Contingent will have any substantial com- | plaints to make of their treatment on board | by Captain Barter, R.N.R., and his officers. fi The galley, 25ft by 25ft, is most completely |j furnished, containing 11 large ovens, and A two largo up-to-date boilers. The galley I was furnished in Sydney at a cost of over ?j £300. Six cooks, two bakers and a butcher 1 will be engaged, and the troopers will have jl a liberal supply of fresh meat en voyage. I Ovei 100 tons of frozen meat will be taken I from Wellington, the Cornwall being fitted J with insulated compartments for the carriage * of frozen produce. Tho saloon of the ship I is a very handsome compartment, the wali nut panellings of the room being carved by ' hand in finely-executed designs. Unfortu--1 nately it is hardly roomy enough to aceomi modate all the officers of the contingent, 1 but special provision is being made for a | number of officers near the saloon. ! SOUTHERN MEN LEAVE FOR AUCKLAND. THE WELLINGTON SEND-OFF. [BY TELEGRAPH.— ASSOCIATION.] Wellington, Sunday. \ The Wellington and Southern companies of ! the Sixth Contingent embarked hero yoster- J day afternoon on the steamer Cornwall, which ! is now proceeding to Auckland to pick up j the rest of the men and horses. In conse- I quence of the death of the Queen there wan ( no organised celebration in honour of the de-1 parting contingent. Tho conditions were i somewhat depressing, for the temperature! was low, and a strong southerly wind brought up frequent showers of rain and sleet. Tho full strength of the contingent is 560 j rank and filo. Of these, 109 will embark at Auckland. , Five hundred and eighty-throe horses arc [ to bo taken, 120 remaining to bo shipped north in the afternoon. \ At half-past threo the companies were paraded in marching order at Newtown Park, i where the ground was ankle-deep in mud. [ ! Colonel Penton, addressing the men, gave ', '■ somo sound advice in a few pithy sentences, f : immediately after which a few orders were j given; then quick march, and the troops 1 headed off for the city. ■ i Along the line of march tho footpaths were lined with neople, and a considerable crowd I had assembled at the entrance to the wharf,! where a guard of honour, composed of various I volunteer corps and Permanent Militia, had i been drawn up. As the contingent marched I on to the wharf they woro heartily cheered.! On arrival alongside the troopship they J were drawn up and addressed by tho Acting-1 Premier and the Mayor. Both gentlemen j wished the men God-speed, good luck, and! a safe return after they had performed their | duty'to their country. . . I Mr. Ward made special reference m his I speech to the fact that within 15 days over 550 men had been horsed and fully equipped I for service, a record which, he thought, might I well be regarded as marvellous in this colony. J Afte. the speech-making, which was, ex-1 ceedingly brief, the friends and relatives of 8 the men were admitted on the wharf in order I that mutual good-byes might be said,; and I afto. about half-an-hour ranks .were formed i again,, and the soldiers marched aboard tne I transport, the gangway and bridge being I heavily draped in black. The Cornwall was I clear of her berth shortly after, six o clock, 1 and as she steamed away in a heavy downpour I of rain the contingent cheered lustily in re-j snonsa; to the farewells waved pQ items A