"NEW ZEALANDERS AND AUSTRALIANS IN ACTION."

Otago Witness, Issue 2437, 28 November 1900, Page 52

"NEW ZEALANDERS AND AUSTRALIANS IN ACTION."

Another large audience assembled in the Garrison Hall last Thursday to hear Mr A. B. Paterson's second lecture on the Beer war. His discourse dealt principally with the" New Zealanders and Australians in action, and on that account it necessarily appealed directly to last evening's audience. The colonial trocx^s when they first arrived were watched very closely by Home military experts and foreign attaches, and the fate of the whole of the New Zealand and Australian contingents depended on the way in which the first detachments acquitted themselves. If they had failed in any way the rest of the troops would have been relegated to duties such as guarding railway lines, where they would never hear a shot fired. The offer of colonial troops was something in the nature of an experiment and something in the way of a concession to the colonies. The first of the colonial troops the lecturer had seen in action were the New Soiith Wales and Eobin's first New Zealand contingent at Arundel. The manner in which they came out of their first engagement was illustrated by subsequent events. When French was ordered to make his sensational dash for Kimberley he took with him 5000 men. He had 40,000 men to pick them out of, and some idea, of what he thought of the way the colonials had carried themselves at Arundel could be gained when it was stated that he took with him every Australian and New Zealander that he could lay his hands on. The good name our colonial lads thus early in their careers secured for themselves was maintained right throughout, and the speaker m graphic, incisive language outlined their performances at various places where they distinguished themselves. What he had to say of the New Zealanders was, of course, listened to with peculiar interest, and his high eulogies of Colonel Robin — eulogies based upon what 'the war correspondent actually saw — weie listened to with unabated interest, and leceived with the most emphatic applause. Mr Paterson has witnessed Colonel Robin undei fire, and the manner in which he handled his troops seemed his highest admiration. His military skill evidently surprised " Banjo," and doubtless a good many otheis, and one instance of it, related by the lecturer, was accorded an attentive hearing. It was on an occasion when the Boers were in full retreat aftei an attack by Fiench. Hutton had asked Colonel Eobm to. ji&ke his men and try to out out a t evv oi ,j^

waggons, but his orders were very indefinite, and. considerable responsibility regarding the safety of his -men rested upon his shoulders. Robin suspected that the retreat would bo covered'by Boers- occupying a hidden position, and an advance guard he threw out disclosed this to be the case. "While the advance guard engaged the enemy's riflemen the rest of the detachment were sent round in a circuitous route, and successfully cut out a number of tiansport waggons without ~* sustaining any loss. The gallant ride of ColoneL Robin under fire - to get a, party o£ New Zealanders out of a dangerous position — a, ifeat well, known throughout the colony — was also admirably -related.- The first engagement of the second contingent was characterised by some humorous elements, which were depicted in a, skilful fashion by the speaker. When the second contingent arrived the first had seem a great deal of fighting, and were disposed to assume an air of lofty condescension towards the newcomers. The vanity of the latter was a little wounded, and they were consumed with eagerness to do something to also distinguish: themselves. When they were going into action their first taste of fire was from British guns. The gunners mistook them for Boers, ancE started shelling them. "French sent a message to the gunners worded something after this style: — "You're making infernally bad shooting, but as you* are firing at the New Zealanders perhaps it's just; as well in this instance." When the second conting-ont got to work the Boers actually engaged trhem on the open plain, and after- some fischting-they beat -a retreat-. The second continsjenters followed them at top t speed. An order was given to them to halt, but they would not halt, but kept at.it, firing at the retreating enemy as - hard as they could. One- old Beer who -was a little lame could not keep up with, the rest. Every man . amongst the pursuers went 'for him. They must have fired 500 rounds at him, an<l not one- of them hit him', the speaker ...added, amidst' .-loud laughter. -- The Boers successfully escaped to their friends in the hills. Mr Paterson gave mirnerous incidents of individual heroism and feats of arms, and his description of the attack on Cronje's laager and the work of Eobin's men at the 3£oomspruit disaster was amongst the moat interesting features of his address. The relief of Kimberley was also marked by a mass of valuable information. In short, the whole lecture was crammed full of facts and incidents, ao much so that it is almost impossible/fco exercise discrimination in picking out the more salient and interesting points. The limelight picture? and cinematographic views which WfireTshown 'towards the close were witnessed with evident pleasure. Representations of Maxims in action, the graves of colouial troopers, characteristic camp scenes, and the arrival of Lord Eoberts at Capetown were given, and the pictures were thrown on the screen with admirable clearness.