THE FOURTH CONTINGENT.

Otago Witness, Issue 2409, 3 May 1900, Page 30

THE FOURTH CONTINGENT.

LETTERS OF THANKS.

His Worship the Mayor has kindly handed us the following

Troopship Monowai, March 26, 1900,

Major F. W. Francis, Y.D., on behalf of^ths Fourth New Zealand Contingent Rough Riders, desires to express his high appreciation of the enthusiastic send-oif accorded them on Saturday last. 'lhe genuine hearty good wishes expressed by so many thousands in your city, and the flattering remarks made by all speakers when addressing them, will long be lemenibered by every member of the contingent. He also wishes to thank the merchants of Dunedm who have heea. good enough to send cases of goods for the use oi the contingent on the voyage.

The following was received by the Mayor of Port Chalmers yesterday atternoon: —

Troopship Monowai, Maich 26,

Major F. W. Francis, Y.D., presents his compliments to his Worship the Mayor and citizens of Port Chalmers, and on behalf of the Fourth I\ r ew Zealand Contingent Rough Rideis undei his command, desires to express his sincere thanks for the hearty reception and cnthusiaatic send-off accorded them ou the 24th mst., which was greatly appreciated by eveiy membei of the contingent.

Major Francis also desires to- express his personal thanks for the veiy handsome bouquet piesented to his wife just on the departure of the troopship. The compliment will long be remembered by at least "two," one in Christchurch and the other in South Africa.

CAVEESHAM SUBSCRIPTION LIST,

T. K. Sidey, £10; N.Z. Wax Yesbas Company, sgs ; Kensington School, £5 Is ; N.Z. Wax Vestas employees, £3 7s 6d ; Robert Rutherford, £2 -is; Mrs Shaddock, William Ban on, James Wright, E. Machnn, Dr W. D. Milne, Miss Siciey, Griffiths Eros., and George Claj-ke, 2ge> each ; William Bridgman. and J. Crawford, £2 each; Mrs M'Laren and family, Mr and Mrs Kane and family, and H. S. Jones and family, £1 10s each; W. Faulds, J. O. White, W. Ban oil, L. EL. Rawson, Thomas Cole, J. Ellis, J. Feil, Thos. SL'even.son, J. Sampson, J. H. Hancock, M. Pearcs, J. C. Smith, A. Philips, Rev. D. DuUon, 3. Wilson, J. Tennant, A. Morrison,* M.H.R., James Jackson, N. H. Bell," Kozie Tea, J. N. Mills. A. Wright, W. L. Scott, Nel-son-Moate Co., A. Cowie, R. W. Rutherford, F. Lethbrklge, T. G-iendining, Mrs No'ten, H. A. Robertson, D. Stevenson, and Rev. W. Will. 1 guinea each ; Mr and Mrs Liddie, John Knox, W. Hamilton, E. Puddy, John Ellis, James Paterson, F. Wilkinson, John Henderson, J. Scoular, F. Shaddock, W. Edmunds, and P. Shackiock, £1 each; A. J. Bottmg, J. S. J3oltij3g 1 D. BoUmg, H. Fox, Thomas M'Xntoph, A. Hume, J. Dempster, D. Baxter, J. Searle, A. "Loasby, W. Milne, S. J.,- Mrs Co'.e art.l daughter, 10s Gd each; Lizzie Scoular, S. M'Cracken, W. Baskett, R. Wilson, J. G. Briggs, M. Tynan, A. Wallace, Mao family, J. 11. Brown, J. H. Lambert, Mis R. Lambert, John Cross, F. J. Ea.stb.er, Robert Allen, J. Campbell, A. Melville, A. Forbes, Ivy Ibbotson, J. G. M'Leod, F. W. Petre, R. Evans, Mrs Allan Johnson, Mr Essex, J. EL Brown, T. Cole, juu., and J. Brown, 10s each; Mrs E. WiJliamson, 7s 6d; Mr Horn, Mis Wihon, Hugh Spiott, J. Hewitt, E. B. Cargill, J. C. Marshall, O. E. Briggs, — O'Callaghan, R. M. Hogg, A. ' M'Farlane, S. H. Jones, W. S. Garden, Charles Clark, W. Heppekhwaite, John Hudson, John Craig, H. Trevena, J. S. Tjevena, J. Douglas, W. Craig, — liellyer, — Alorton, A. Leckie, — M'Donahl, W. Crooi:, J. Croot, C. Croot, — Croot, Miss W. Cioot, Miss N*. Croot, Mrs Collins, T. M'Laren, E. Grave, W. H. Har-gx-eavcs, N. Wilkinson, H Race, J. Souness, 13. Sharp, A. Menzies, M. Bird, E. R. Briggs, A. J. Briggs, Mrs Briggs, Mrs G. A. Stone, B. M. King, Airs T. Johnstone, J. Broadfoot, D. Roberts, J. C'arduo, H. White, Mrs G. Methver>, J. M'Keazie, P. Hegaity, A. M Xaughfc, — M'Quillan, R. Hanmng, Resident, A. M'Auslan, John White, — M'Gill, Mrs Eyre, Domimok Leyden, Mrs Strang, P. Robsrts, ToJd Bros., C. tt. R. 8., F. Symonds, G. M'Kenzie, — Jlnox, and 3. Greateaux, 5s each ; Miss M. Kerr, 4s ; — Birch, 4s ; Charles Clark, 3s Gd; Miss Cairns, 3s 6d; H. Shale, Chinaman, C. A. Clark, B. Schoueld, O. Grave, — Watson, and A. F., 3s each; M. Jansen, R. Ryley. W. Brown, Z. Laverty, W. Sprott, R. Sprott, Tom Hewitt, A. M'Laren, J. C, R. P., J. M. D., James Mackie, A. .Hamilton, W. Hamilton, G-. E. Thomson, M. Mewhiney, S. Harvey, — Blaney, Mrs Mcc, Miss Whilehorn, W. Henderson, Mrs Graham, Miss Moloney, B. M'Phetson, Mrs Young, Miss R. Kerr, A. M'Naughton, R. e J. M'Kenzie, A. B. Ralph, Joe Yoong, W. Duncan, W. Duncan, G. Murray, B. M'Moxran, T. Gallagher, R. W. Lawson, John Will, F. Stephens, F. A. Fulton, T. A. Brown, W. Diekenson, P Cassidy, W. Nmd, R. White, A Friend, W. Judd, Mrs Robertson, Mrs J. A. Henderson. John M'Auslan, T. Henderson, W. M'Cormack, and A. W. M'Gregor, 2s 6d each; — Croft, Mrs Brown, F. Noble, J. FairJey, Miss Wardell, — Gecldes, — Gubbins, Mrs Lemon, „ Mrs Stewart, A. Whitehorn, G Wilson, — Peebles, G. H. Westwood. — Nelson, and R. W., 2s each; A., W. Cole, J. Foster, Mrs Mooney, — Gibson, Mrs Ellis, Mrs Hunter, Miss Adams, and C. Wakefield, Is each. Collected by Miss James 17s, by Miss Nettie M'Lean 6s, Mrs O. Briggs 6s, Queenie Wren 18s, Miss M. Spraggon 9s, Miss M. Scoular 7s, Miss L. Scoular Bs, Miss Ralph 2s 6d, Miss Hessie Cowie 17s 3d, Miss Lily Rutherford 235, Miss May Cadogan 16s, Mrs'E. Grave ss, Mr Brotherhood 10p, and J. Rutherford 21s. Collected at jvafcriotic meeting, £'25 2s, including a cheque for sgs from F. J. Lake, and

P. 0.0. for 10s from G. Burgess; amount taken at dcor, £7 12s 6d. Sale of fibwers by young ladies, £2 6s lOd. St. Clair siibscriptions previously published, £51 16s. Making a total of £241 10s Id. Mr Trevena, gave a bridle and spurs, valued at £2. , John Seaele, Hon. Sec. Caversham Committee. March 16. Lieutenant J. R. Macdonald, writing on board the Monowai to his friend Mr Frank. Armstrong, of this city, pays the following tribute to the care taken of the horses under the difficulties incident to the overcrowding of their quarters: — "Although _we have such a large number ot horses on board, the boat is quite clean and free from smell. This is, of course, due to the splendid work clone by the men at 'stables.' The horses are packed so close together that the men have to crawl on thenhands and knees between the horses', hind legs to clean out the stables, and this is done quietly and expeditiously three times a day. Again, to groom and rug the horses the men have to crawl on their bands and knees over the horses' backs, but the 'boys' in this contingegnt are" ' workmen ' all right, and their work is well clone. I have been on laoarcl a boat on which, there were only half a dozen horses, and the smell of those stables permeated the whole ship, but the Monowai, with over 200 horses on board, is quite sweet. Tn our ' vet.' (Lieutenant Edgar) we h.ave a treasure*. He loves his horses," and never wearies iv his attendance on them. At all hours ot the day and night he may be met on his rounds of the horse lines. So far, we have lost only one horse, and that case was hopeless from the start. Veterinary-surgeon Lieutenant Edgar was in South Africa in 1897, engaged in stamping out the rinderpest, and we are all sorry that he is going only as far as tho Cape with' us, for, in addition to being a skilful vet., he is 'a white man.' "We have unearthed several stowaways, two of them lads in uniform, and only about 18 or 19 years of age. On being interrogated by ibe skipper, one youth gave as his reason for bein'? on board that he ' wanted to have a

shot at Kruger.' The other said that he ' wanted to see" Lord Roberts.' We will probably take both of them to the front, for of such are the soldiers of the Queen."

Mr Charles Spragg, who volunteered for the Fourth Contingent, but was under age, decided to proceed to South Africa by the Monowai on his, own accoimt. Two days after the Monowai left Port Chalmers he was appointed assistant to Surgeon-captain Neil, the position carrying with it the rank of corporal.