RETURNED TROOPERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11564, 30 January 1901, Page 6

RETURNED TROOPERS.

I ARRIVAL OF AUCKLAND MEMBERS OP THE FIRST CONTINGENT ■ ' ■■'■.-"■ : !':-'.'-'-> ;: -^V'--:-"--- : : ■".•'' '"■-■■■:•: ' " '- : -'-'i ADDRESS BY LIEUTENANT-COLONET WHITE. :■ ■ ■ • '..•';■ The Auckland and country members of th '■ detachment of the First New ■?, "■ ' land Contingent who returned "V Australia from South Africa in $, Harlech Castle, and were subsequent!* sen? on to the colony in the Orient, arrived from Wellington, via- New Plymouth, by ta& s.s. Ngapuhi yesterday forenoon. No inij. mation having been received of their leaving Wellington, there was no reception at Onehunga, and on their arrival at Auckland rail" ' way station practically the only persons there to welcome them home were their personal friends, who had been privately advised ' Lieutenant Wynyard, of the Auckland Mounted Rifles, who wont out to Onehn! v: "■ to welcome back throo of, the members of L ' contingent' who formerly belonged to t corps to winch ho is attached, accomoanitf mite, officer commanding the distriri » J Captain Reid .district adjutant, "£ - sent on the platform. . pre , r . ho rehiraod troopers wore:-Servant Major E. Harrowell (in charge of thTdetaS'■' ment), Sergeant W. E. Mahood Ki' N. McDonald G. H. Gane? W S&t Prirates J. Mcwburn. F. ,R. Po™ 1 !' . Maunder, R. Dawson, H. P. Wright i> p Hubbard, J. C. MeCauley W. C vlij" R ' C, L. Jewell, McLean, j!h. WhyV, »' • tain, W. McPhcrson/T. J. q'aA' Woods Witheford, and Mitchell . ' * _ On being detrained at the 'station, the m turned troopers wero formed un in l;« the platform where Hh™werT briefly 6 a ? dressed by the office commanding the thY tact. Lieutenant-Colonel White heart, welcomed the .men home again, remarK - that he was pleased to see them all looS ' so well; Aucklanders were son? tint nD? ! ' count of the death of their beloved $£ " they would be unable to.give them the I]' come they would under ordinary £S" - stances have received, but they could Z£ assured that the feeling of the citTzl'S wards them were none the less sincere. Th» all felt proud of their- men, because th2 "' know on the authority of Lord Robert, £ self that they had been a credit to tU - colony they were drawn from, anfa til Empire, They would always be rememkrrf with .ho most kindly feelings m KjgJ then level best to maintain the honour of th! Empire, and it was hoped that they would all live long and honourable lives Tl« had started honourably, and it. was 0 £ hoped that they would try their level beS to continue so He trusted) they would re main in the volunteer force, and by exnmnL and experience help to make good soldie-s of the; young volunteers, and long live to tS'fidd ° nours -. the had so nobly won in Owing to the national bereavement thpr« was no cheering or other signs of anv demon, stratum, and on the men. being dismissed they quietly dispersed, accompanied by their ' relatives and friends. Several of thl " troopers stated that but 1 for the short tine elapsing between their -return and thoV parture of the Sixth Contingent, they would have enrolled and returned to the seat of' war with the Cornwall troops, and it is more than probable that some, of them will vet go hack to South Africa if a seventh con- ' tingent is sent, the opinion among them being that it is quite possible that there will be a call for further New Zealanders ■ Had the arrival of the troooors not been a complete surprise to the people of Auckhwid, arrangements would have been made to :; fittingly receive them. Inquiries have been made m Auckland during the past two days as to the whereabouts of the Orient's contingent, but it seemed that the • military' authorities here were entirely unaware of their departure from : Wellington, no intimation to that efFeot having been sent here by the Defence Department. It was thought probable that they might have been shipped on the Cornwall; and .to put an end to all uncertainty the Mayor telegraphed yester- » day morning to the Aoting-Premiei, asking - ' when the men might bo expected in Ancle • land. Uy this time, ; however, the men were unknown to the Mayor, coming up the Mannkau, and soon afterwards they arrived in the City. The Mayor hopes to be able to gather™ the men together to-day during the proceedings at the departure of the contingent, "■'" express to them a. fow words of. welcome and appreciation on behalf of the city of their conduct in , South Africa. - _ Mr. J. H. Witheford, whoso son is one ofH the returned troopers, has : invited all the men who came by the Ngapuhi to take luncheon with him at the Star Hotel to-day ±le has also chartered one of the Ferry Com-' pany steamers, on which to take the men round the heads, accompanying the troopship Cornwall,, so that tho returned men' may see the last of the volunteers just departing for South. Africa, and bid them r fitting farewell.