OTAGO AND SOUTHLAND SECTION.

Otago Witness, Issue 2403, 22 March 1900, Page 66

OTAGO AND SOUTHLAND SECTION.

A WARIIDAT ON THE BEACH. EXTENSION OF THE FORBURY CAMP. WEDNESDAY.

WEDNESDAY. | Rudyard Kipling, barrack-room balLuli't, refers to a parade in one of his poenid -v hen : " The drill was hot and heavy, | And the aky was hot and blue." ; This was exactly the condition of things that prevailed on the Ocean Beach on Tuesday, while the Ctigo troop paraded lor their usual morning' di ill. The ! sun jvas scorching- hot, and there v. as no breeze to temper the air ' for the sweltering troopers, as they ploughed through the glaring white sand for nearly two hour«. ( Ihe contingent was split up into three com- i panic*. Captain Harvey took two divisions, J and with him were Lieutenants Tubman and ] Eeddell. Lieu'.cnant Fulton took the third with Lieutenant Bavchop second in command, ■ and Lieucenont M'Donald exerci&ecl the fourth. All three companies worked hard, • moving up and clown the waste of sand oppo-f-ite Ons-low House in various formations, till the perspiration poured off the men and horses. In spite of the heat, which generally induces a resentment against more exertion ! than is absolutely necessary, there was norh- ( ing listless or hulf-hearted aboi;t the drill. Commands were promptly obeyed and changes of formation on the move rapidly and cleanly | executed. Every now and then a halt I'or a few i minutes was called to enable the men to have a breather, and thsn they went at it again, advancing or retiring in line, in column of sec- '' tions, in extended order, and so on, till one would think that they could almost do it with their eyes shut ; but if anyone ever entertained such a notion, let them go out with the troop for one single parade, and they will be quickly disillusioned. , The dazzling sun on the sand is very trying to the eyes, and a few such days as Tue&dav mighl easily affect some of the men's eyesight. Alter the drill was over the horses were rewarded with their daily '"cooler" in ., the surf, and some of them rush into the surf with the utmost eagerness. What they like even better is for their saddles to be reiroyed, sncl then they can roll in the sand. It is an amusing and yei an interesting spectacle to see half the horses in the troop on their backs at once, rolling and kicking their feet in the air in sheer delight at a few , minutes' freedom. Sometimes a horse get-i away, and makes a dash across the sand back . in the direction of camp. Several troopers will instantly start after it, and enjoy a tear- ' ing gallop after the truant with as much satisfaction as if they were rounding up warrigals on some back station. " Spell-ho " concluded, the men brush the dry sand off the horses' backs and saddle up to return to camp. , The regular hours and healthy open-air life ' are making a wonderful difference in the men. : The work is interesting, and not 100 hard, and i they arc getting into splendid condition. They \ will go away from Otago bronzed and i 6 war thy, as hard as nails, and fit for any service from the Cape to Pretoria. i The afternoon parade Mas cancelled, and the whole of the men were engaged in extending the camp to accommodate the men from the north. About 20 additional tents were put up, and a number moved. The camp now extends in eight rows, of 10 tent? each, right across the park, and as eight men go to a tent, there is accommodation for over 600 men, exclusive of officers. It is intended to extend the officers' quarters, and there will be 16 officers' tents when the new camp is complete. Additional horse lines have been laid down, and there is now space for the picketing of 500 horses. The work occupied the whole afternoon, and was hardly finished v.hon the bugler sounded the evening " stables." It was stated in camp yesterday that by the end of the week there would be over 400 men at Forbury. This gives four companies of 100 men each. Two of these are already accounted for — the Otago Troop and the Southlanders and West Coast men, — so. that presumably the two other companies will be furnished by the North Island. Colonel Webb issued the following camp order for Tuesday, which will be read with interest : —

'" Orderly officer. Lieutenant Bauchop ; next for duty, Acting-Lieutenant Keddell ; orderly sergeant, Sergeant Jolly; orderly corporal, Corporal White.

"Under instructions received from headquarters at Wellington, Lieutenant-colonel Webb assumes command of the camp from to-day.

" Captain Fulton will take command of No, 1, or the Otago, Company.

" Captain Harvey will take command of No. 2, or the Southland, Company, which will be composed of the Southland men and other men of the South Island now en route to join.

" Lieutenants Bauchop and J. It. Macdonald are posted to No. 1 Company.

" Lieutenants Keddell and Tubman are posted to No. 2 Company.

" Captain and Adjutant F. Stronach is appointed camp adjutant.

Lieutenant G. W. M'Donald is appointed camp quartermaster.

" Captain Price and Lieutenants Morris, Pram, and Freeman are attached to the camp for general staff and instruction dutiej. From to-morrow the two companies will be kept separate as regards tents and horse lines. The camp quartermaster will make the necessary arrangements with captains of companies."

On Tuesday morning blue dungarees were issued to the men, and these, with the khaki sweaters issued on Saturday, make a very effective and neat fatigue uniform. The men will wear these on board ship. Flannel shirts of excellent quality have also been supplied to the men.

Mr J. Robin, accompanied by Mrs and Miss Robin, drove out to the camp in the afternoon. Mr Robin went out with the object of selecting a remount for the Major, and after looking at several picked out by Vete-rinary-captain Snowball, he selected a well-set-up brown gelding — an animal that ought to do admirably the class of work required of it. Early in the afternoon an urgent telephone message was received at the camp, asking for the services of Dr Watt, the camp surgeon. The request came from St. Clair, where a man had been dragged out of the surf in a dying condition. The doctor set off, accompanied by four contingent boys with a stretcher, and were at the scsne of the accident in about seven minutes. It was then, however, too late to save the man's life, although everything possible was done in this direction. A word of praise is due the little party from the camp for the despatch with which they turned out. The " boys " in camp are very grateful to Mrs Royce A of Monj&eUier* fgr a jßift joi a

couple of cases of apples. This kind of fruit is always welcome at the camp, and the contingent boys are not the ones to bear any animosity even if they do recollect a former occasion when a man was the recipient of an apple at the hands of one of the fair sex. PREPARATIONS FOR THE SENDOFF. The Demonstration Committee have asked the mayor to arrange that between the hours of 10.30 o.m. and 1 p.m. on the 24th inst. vehicular traffic bo suspended in all btrcals between Park street to the south and Moray place north (the European Hotel), except Castle btiaat, Cumberland street, south of Rattray street, the Anderson's Bay road, Park street, and the approaches to the tongue wlipvf, including the overbridge and High 'and Rattrry streets easl of Princes street. It is \.h^ intention of the committee to allow vehicles requiring to drive iroia north to south, and vice versa, to pass along Castle street, Cumberland street, south of Rattray street, and the Anderson's Bay road, leaving Crawford, Bond, Lower High, and Lower Rattray streets and the overbridge for the public on foot; while the procession will use Princes street, the Octagon, Stuart street, Cumberland street, the Triangle, Lower High street, and the tongue wharf approaches. Tho Demonstration Committee called for tenders for erecting the platforms on the Oval ; but on further consideration it has j been deemed wiser to clo the work them- , selves. The committee have therefore put I on three foremen, who are to carry out Air J. Hislop's instructions, and that gentleman will attend to supervise. Mr Speight is in this matter acting on behalf of the committee, and he will employ ill" workmen. I On Tuesday morning the committee went to the ground and arranged the plane of . paths, gates, exits, etc. j The iirrangements include the roping off i f two large reserves for the general public. • Jtiis Worship the Mayor has promised to ' have the rubbish heap attended to r.nd sijtlg ' sightly and decent for occupation ; nr.d the , trees arc to be trimmed, the fence .-h-en^th- ' ened, and other things done to make ihe Oval lit for the great function on tho 24th. ■ Thofc.o persons who will ha-» o tickets for thp stsudft and wish to drive to the Oval will i approach by way of Cuniborlraid ,-itreet and ! the Anderson Bay road. No traps or car- , riages excepting those of the Governor and ■ the official party will be admitted into the enclosure. \ ] Mr James Mills has informed«the committee that they can have the Mourn and tho Te Anau for the n an&port of the troops and the j guests to Port Chalmers. It is expected that ! the Hinemoa, aUo will be available. If so, ! the arrangement will be that the Governor, the Premier, and the other speakers, v/ith the members of Parliament, and the Organising j Committee, will go by the Hinemoa, while j the Aloura will take the troops and their j relatives, and the Te Anau will carry the j other guests. These will ail receive free I tickets. Other vessels will no doubt be on hand to convey the public at a ftated charge. The volunteers will probably be taken to Port by train immediately after the ceremony. All the country bands are expected to be present. They are to have free railway passes. j Captain Davies has expressed his willing- ! ness to organise the old imperial service men ! for the proeassion, and Major S. N. Brown ! has been ai=kcd to get tog-ether a,s many ex- i volunteers as possible. It would bs a n'ce ' thing if these old volunteers wore also to rec«»i\Q fres passes from the pommy. t The committee are looking w^ll to the- . arrangements for feeding the men. Tlie volunteers will find luncheon served in the S train on the way to Port, and the troopers j are to have lefreshmenis for themselves and i their relatives on the Mom a. I , A SUGGESTION. ! When the New South Wales Bushmen's contingent was equipped in Sydney, a pro- , minent firm of solicitors generously under- ] took to draw up the wills of the men free of i cost. There is no doubt that every man ! , going off to the wars should attend to this ; duty before he leaves home, and we think that it only needs to be suggested for some j | members of the legal profession in Dunedin | to take the matter up. By undertaking this they would be doing a real .service to the Otago and Southland contingent.