THE NINTH CONTINGENT.

Otago Witness, Issue 2509, 16 April 1902, Page 54

THE NINTH CONTINGENT.

WITH THE NORTH ISLAND BATTALION. You ha\e ahendy heard of the great =ondoff the Auckland people gave- thp North I -land Battalion of the Ninth Contingent, but for tho-o wlio sailed away in the Devon 11 vaj. :> day to be treasured as an ideal or standard of spectacular lovlines=. Tlie kits came on board at the lasi moment, and the hr-t concern of the men was to get at their own. The first night and morning vvere extrenielj fine, but after we passed Cape Af.'iia Van Iht-men a heavy swell came 1 11 from thr houth-east and caused the vec.-e! to 1011 alarmingly. The«e wave- were the ]-> - c011 Miru of a tenible cyclone, which ?ffo L -ted til"' transport in a \cry severe manner before oilhcr men or hor«es liaf' gained tho.r -pp leg--. The gale fir-t met u--. then it wa-. r Hind v- for Kimt h'liirs, and limn, woih '.1 rll we t,ot jiito ,a perfect jumV/le of s-oas (d'iiiii" 1:1 t»on !•'! 'i!r- to i lie <er,tic ot the c-.v'oi'.o di tun aiiC . Til'- course had to be alirrpd to the -culli uiiii tin ofiu-i.- of tho ."•'up had a m. t anMoiii luglit on Enday. liiur-iday v. a- hail enough, but, oh, the m-de-ciiblc t'atier of the ttamrinq hor-es, the «h out ing of men. lmnging of l-co*, cra-hinp of tin? and ercckery, as the vo-el hcavd and quivered from the shucld^-ririn; shocks of the \ia'e=. .Seme even v.>-nt to the bfeb- nit*. ViicM on tlie other side of the < vc'on-" 1 li'o \>i:.'l was 'trong and dead ahead. Stowav.ays gi.-tlual'y camo out to the number of eight, and as six were very desirable lohmtcerM the comtnanding offit or took them on the strength. One or two men were left behind at Auckland, one man had been m.tiriocl only threo dny=. so what else could !*> o\prrlH' When they have had a honpyn oon. 1 i- may bp glad to get away with the T< nt . ' Iho-e offiicrs and men who had -ecu the iSoulli Inland <amp had to confess tha'. the hoite-> 111 the North Is'and Battalion were more e\en and very much superior :<-; a body. How c ad, then, it was to gee the poor lior-Ga bashed about so unmercifully — lxteon have been destroyed or dud alrradj , and another dozen are in a pitiable plight. Forty will probably bo left in Sydney to vi'cn\ er. Tt is paid that wo are the thirteenth tran-nort, and this ha- been our luck' Fortunately, the men are all alive, but they have suffered tomb'v, and gone thiougli a trying ordeal. Saturday '■au thoin lying about in hrap*: oilier-, with wan. Mekly farr-, .-tiiiGTEtling about <iii tlutv .Sunday no -er\ it o« t ould be held, for it wa« lough, and ' cry hea\y struck the m— el e\ cry other minute, and 1)10 whole .«liip was 111 a dirty =tat<\ In the- holds bovos were ba-hetl into heap- of debris : blanket-, beer bottle-, <-oda water, provi-ions--, etc etc. The De\ on i-> a Federal line steam-hip, 420 ft long. 54ft across from the main deck to the bottom *he i.« 34ft deep- Above tin-, are the unpor deck, the hurricane or boat deck, and the bridge: but -he is not carrying enough t argo for a. boat of her size, ha ring only 3000 tonp of coal, 1000 ton* of water ballast, and 15,000 carca-c- of frozen mutton The laige hold-> being for men and horse-. a ho 1-7 light, and so, being top hca\v, rolls terrifically. Ton Auckland men di»tinguiched thein^ehcs by thru- efforts during the nights of 1 lie hurricane, and were especially thanked by fhf^ officer 1 ommand ing, Major O'Brien, who pre-euted each of the men with a Balaclava tap and leave to <{o a-hoie at Sydney. The ladies of Auckland provided the «!np with a vr ry decent library, whuli is m t harge of Cliaplam Tintef: The ndjutant of the battalion is Lirutena.nt Boale, and tlie quarterma-tcr is L'ciitenaut Cliamber j . an Imperial soldier and biothcr of the Rev. Mr Chamber-, of Lvtte'ton On Monday the -ca w<nt d"v\ n considerably, and at night a concert \\as held 111 the middle hold. There is plenty of ta'eut in esidencf. Tuesday was a perfect day, and but for the sufferings of the hor-es and a few patients we would have been perfectly harJpy. The Major held a kit inspection to pee the men. had only their own properties, and whatever else they needed. There will have been great anxiety about ii= if the- storm '-truck New Zealand, find now- we are two d.»v» late. The record to'- the ]ouniey 1-: Loft Auckland 19th VaiUi ISO 2. pin. Thursday, noon, SOS ..nV,; T>u\ar. 257: .Saturday, S3 ; Sunrlay 76: Mond-iy 213; Tur-day. 269; Wetlno-dnv, 213: arriving at Sydney Heads at 740 allla 1111 1:—1 :— total, 1314 mile* We evpi ' t to 'lay in Mvdnev for 2 1 liourto havo tho fittinEs repaired, but may bo tl< tan'"'l longer The cable will tell you all ei'out tin"-, however.