WELCOME TO CAPTAIN NICOLSON.

Otago Witness, Issue 2471, 24 July 1901, Page 26

WELCOME TO CAPTAIN NICOLSON.

Captain Nicblson, of the fourth contingent, was on Monday formally welcomed back to Dunedin by the members of the Dunedin Engineers Corps, in which company he holds a lieutenant's commission. The ceremony took place ir the hall of the European Hotel, which Mr Pike had taken exceptional pains to decorata tastefully with flags, banners, and mortos. There was a very good turn-out of members, including Captain Barclay (who presided), Surgeon-major Will, Lieutenants Ross, Midgley, and Lacey. Major Beal, being away in the country, wrote apologising for his non-attend-ance. After the toast of the King had been honoured, and various musical items given, Captain Barclay pioposed the health of the guest of the evening. He said he could hardly realise that; it was 16 months ago since he met Captain. Nicolson in the Garrison Hall for the purpose of saying farewell to him and of bidding him. God-speed previous to his departure for South Africa. Yet that time had elapsed, and since he left them Captain Nicolson had had many experiences and had endured many hardships— hardships in every sense of the word. Captain Nicolson, however, had learned a good deal i dining the time he had been away, and he ! (Captain Barclay; looked inward to obtaining from him p gooc! deal of infoimation. Indeed, hs had already learned much from Captain ! Nicolson, although he had only been back a. week, aaid he intended to learn a good J"aL more.—(Hear, hear.) From the South African j was- they had derived a good many le°sons. They hacl ls&rnt thai New Zea'.anders vera able to hold their own: that there wa= no ! reason for that misgiving which was felt when the first contingent ipft their shores but that New Zealanders in the particulai mode of warfare adopted in South Africa had shown to very great advantage indeed. Another thing they had learnt was fiat although many had gone there were seveial thousand more ready and willing to go if reouired.— (.Hear, hear.) In their own company quite a number wanted' to go, but through no fault oi their own had been unable to do so. The eagerness to get away which some of their men and other men had displayed had struck him greatly. Captain Nicolson had, however, got away, and 1 on behalf of the company he wished to say that he was more than pleased to see him back, and in. such apparently good health. They had followed his career with the greatest) interest-, and they were particularly gratified at his promotion, though they sincerely regretted the circumstances under which the I vacancy occurred. The toast was drunk with musical honouis and cheers. Captain Nicolson, who on rising to respond! received an extremely hearty reception, said he and those others who had gone to the front did not deserve any more recognition than those who had stayed at home, who had turned out at all the parades arul liad done then liebfc to make themselves a foice to be leckoned vith should a foe ever altrmpt to l?nd here. He had gone with the irtcntion of tryi ig to do his duty, and he hoped he had done a little to uphold the honour of the grand old flag — (Applause.) At times the contingents had had a pretty hard time of it, and once or twice, when the transport waggons failed to get up, they had had to subsist on quarter rations. Geneially, however, they had lived very well. He had never forgotten the grand send-off they received last year, and many a night, lying on a kopje, he had thought of the pleasant evenings spent with the Dunedin Engineers and had looked forward to being able to renew old friendships. Captain Nicolson then pioceeded to describe his experiences from the day he left Dunedin until the time when the contingents were ordered home. As may be imagined, his narrative was very interesting. I He described Beira, and the pecuhai and diffi- | cult conditions tinder which the journey ficm j this town to Bamboo Cieek, and from Bamboo Creek to Bulawayo was made. Bulawayo and Mafeking were described, and Captain Nicolson promised, amid applause, to show them some I night by diagrams how the latter place was defended. In graphic terms he d-escribed the engagements that took plr.ee at Ottoshoop, a-nd with considerable feeling he narrated the circumstances under which his late comrade. Captaiu Harvey, lost his life. It was at Oltoshoop, Captain Nicolton said, he first experienced the horror 3of warfare. There he had to spend 72 houis at a stretch on the kopje the New Zealanders took It was there, too. that he saw some of Ins comrades wounded' and dead. At one place, where ti^nches had to be made and blockhouses built, Captain Nicolson said he found the training he had ieceived in the Engineers come m extremely useful, giving him quite an advantage over other officers. The gieat convoy capture, for which the New Zealanders received so muck praise, was mentioned, and the speaker concluded with a reference to the relatives of those who had fallen at the fiont. To these peopla he asked them to extend the hand of sympathy to endeavour to lighten their load and niake them look upon the arrival home of the contingents m a less sorrowful light. He thanked them for their kindness to him befoie leaving, and smce his leturn. He only hoped that encumstances would permit him to leenter the Engineers.—(Applause.) They had in their captain the finest captain it had been his privilege to meet. He had met many officeis during the t.me he was away, but never one whe took mane mteiest in his work and in his men.—^Hear, hear.) To Captain Barclay and the other officers m tli. company he owed most of his training, which came in so handy in South Africa.—(Applause.) Renewed cheeis were then given for Captain Nicolson, and the! company followed these up with a vigorous rendering of their war civ. During the evening several other toasts wei<* houomed. Lieutenant Ross piopo-ed " Tli o New Zealand Contingents at the Fiont " , Lieutenant Midglev " The Ladies." t which C*g«

tain Nicolson responded, and paid a tribute to the work done by the nurses at the front. The toast of "The Officers in the Duuedin Engineers " was also drunk. Musical items were given by Sappers M'Neil, Hook, Ellis Wilhelmsoti, Morrell, and James, Corporals Smith, Bragg, Sergeants Dredge, Flynn, Bryant, and Captain Xicolsou. ExCcrporai Beckman also gave a recitation.