THE FOURTH CONTINGENT

Otago Witness, Issue 2425, 5 September 1900, Page 44

THE FOURTH CONTINGENT

ARRIVAL AT BULAWAYO. ORDERED TO PIETERSBURG. (Faon Oub Special Correspondent with the Contingent.) BULAWAYO, July 2, 1800. We reached Bulawayo early this morning, having completed our long trek of 300 mile? in 24 days. Our actual marching time was 21 days, as we spent two days at Range awaiting ord.prs, and one day at Enkiedoorn owing to the loss cf a span cf oxen. During the last fortnight we conc 1 uc i cd our day's march in one journey, instead of marching in the early morning and late afternoon, as before.

Our marciiing-in state (this morning) showed five officers (including staff officer), 135 men, and 136 horses. I regret to say tlat vre were compelled to leave one officer and three men in the hospitals at Enkiedoorn and Gwelo. Apart Irom the iliness of those referred to, the general health cf both officers and men is steadily improving. A considerable number of these we left behind are on their way to join us, but it will be at least a fortnight before they arrive.

We have again been very unfortunate with our horses, owing to stampedes, having lost fottr of our best at a station called Fort Gibb. .We had completed our day's march, and turned the horses out to graze under a mounted guard, when they were startled in some unaccountable manner, and they earreered off over the veldt, which in this place was somewhat hilly, and thickly wooded. Some of them were found at a distance of seventeen miles from the camp. A search party consisting of one officer and 10 men remained behind for three days to scour the country for the missing four, but their efforts proved ineffectual.

A new evil has appeared among our horses. There is a variety of ticks among the grass, and whenever tho hor:es are turned out to graze they become infested with these objectionable vermin. If the horses are not kept free from them they speedily lose their condition. Tho only permanent cure seems to be clipping ; but as that is impossible under present circumstances, " morning stables " has degenerated into a tick hunt. The veterinary officer at Bulawayo made an inspection of ou^ horses this morning,, and expressed himself pleased' with their condition.

After leaving Bnkledporn the only place of any importance we passed through was Gwelo. It is the centre of a gold mining district. Some of the reefs 'are paying handsome dividends to the fortunate shareholders, but the majority are shut down owing to the difficulty in obtaining supplies. It is said that the district will ultimately be as productive as the Rand. In tlie neighbourhood are tlie ruins of ancient cities, and the workings of gold mines. Local lesidenls "say there is every reason to believe that the Phoenicians mined here, for gold. When searching for our horaes we 'saw several of the ruins abovementioned, as well as deep shafts of a peculiar triangular construction. , At Gwelo the local' football club issued a challenge to play our detachment. It was promptly accepted, and resulted in a decisive victory for our boys.

* On our arrival this morning Colonel Gray, who is in command of our brigade, came out to camp and gave us orders to hold ourselves in readiness to march again at a moment's notice. He told us that nothing- definite had been decided as to our next move, but it was very probable we would bo ordered to pietersburg (in North Transvaal), via Tuli. Tins means another long trek of 250 miles over very dry and very badly watered country, and he expected us to complete tho journey in H clays. He assured us we would get into the firing line. Of course we were delighted at this prospect, as our journey has been so far rather that of a tour through Central Africa than a march on active service.

The war news that reaches us is of a very contradictory nature. Even here at Bulawayo very little is known, but the general idea is that, although the war is practically over, a system of guerilla warfare will be carried on for some time.

I learned from an Imperial officer to-day that a plan of campaign against Rhodesia had been, decided upon by the Boer military authorities. This piece of. information reached 'Field-marshal Lord Roberts, who immediately set about organising the Rhodeaian'lfteld Force to counteract it. The magnitude' of this 1 force organised apparently terrified the Boers, who decided to confine their attentions to the defence of their own State.

• I was very much amused when reading some issues of the Standard and Diggers' News — the official Boer organ. • Glowing accounts of victories over the enemy (the English)- were set out in the largest type — the victories existing purely in the imagination of Kruger and Co. One issue contained a despatch Acono Cronje stating that the enemy were

being" steadily driven back by the burghers, etc., etc., but when I tell you that on the date on which the despatch was headed Cronje ,was a prisoner in St. Helena you will readily understand to what extent the Boers are bolstered up by false reports.

Our New Zealand mails, also, have been touring Central Africa, or perhaps some more distant clime. We expected to find an accumulation at Bulawayo, but were grievously disappointed when we received only two bags, chiefly of newspapers belonging to every New Zealand contingent in South Africa. Our share of letters, I think, amounted to about 40. It will be remembered that the men of our contingent signed under 4s per day, and naturally felt somewhat aggrieved when they found that the whole of the Rhodesian Field Force were in receipt of 5s a day. Wo learn to-day, however, from the Colonel that the Imperial Government had considered the matter and decided to increase our pay to 5s per day and to pay us at that rate from the day we landed at; Beira. July 3, 1900. General Sir Fred Carrington paid a visit of inspection to our camp this morning, and gave us orders to march early to-morrow morning to Pietersburg, via Fort Tuli — our day's march to average 20- miles. ' We are ordered also to take only bare necessities in the way of kit, so that our march may be as fast a.i possible. If the fighting is not all over in three weeks we shall be in the firingline. In any case, it is tolerably certain that, should wo not see much fighting, we will be on patrol and disarming duty.

By the way, Lieutenant Tubman has been appointed acting adjutant to the column and contingent, the adjutant having been left behind in hospital.