JOTTINGS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16480, 4 September 1915, Page 8

JOTTINGS.

The Botha Fund opened in Auckland now totals about £300. The . Napier Borough/Council has decided to issue free tram passes to ail returned soldiers. Up to the present time no fewer (says thfe Post) than 68 members of the Wellington Star Boating, Club have enlisted since , the war broke out. Mr Gladstone Ward, son of Sir Joseph Ward, has been appointed to a commission in the Mechanical Transport Department, Army Service Corps, in England. Sir Joseph Ward stated, in. answer to a suggestion (says the Lyttelton Times), that steps should be taken to remove the prohibition at present placed upon letters i»eing written in the Russian language, that it had already been recommended ~-to allow letters to be written in the Russian language. The matter is one for tho consideration of the War Office. Writing to one of the Southland News staff, a member of the forces in Gallipoli states: —"We have four . Japanese bombthrowors with us now, manned by Japanese. They throw a 351b bomb, with a secret Japanese explosive, a distance of 450 yards. They can land a bomb on a target a foot square from that distance, and the explosion is reckoned to be equal to that of a 9.2 in shell!—eo they have something of an effect. They have the rummiest explosion I ever heard. It's exactly 'whoof,' and everything all around seems to bo ripped up to nothing. It's a luoky man that can sort out a 'whole Turk after one of these bombs has landed.'' Amongst stories of jokes in the trenches under fire is one told by Private T. K. M'Evoy, of the Nelson Regiment, in a letter to a resident of Christchuoh. . The soldier states that at Gallipoli one night, when the Turks were attacking tho British position, a sergeant who was not altogther adored by his men wished to number his party. Ho gave the order in an undertone: "Number!" The numbers wero given 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and then came " King, Queen, Jack." He repeated the order with the same result, and about six repetitions still brought up the court cards instead of the higher numbers. The sergeant could not reach the outside men without making himself a target for, tho Turks, and had to content himself with uttering throats.

A haro drive took place at Woodbank Station on Sunday, at which 34 shooters took nart (eavs the Ranmev correspondent of the'Lvttelkm Times). Thtr day's bag consisted of 141 hares and 187 rabbits. The former will bo donated to the Belgium Fund, and the latter to the Hanmer Springe Red ■ Cross Hospital.