THE NINTH CONTINGENT.

Otago Witness, Issue 2520, 2 July 1902, Page 41

THE NINTH CONTINGENT.

(From Ottb Own Cobresfo.vijknt.)

JVEREENIGING, Transvaal, M*y 15, 1802.

The eyes of the world are on Vereeniging to-day, and we are here. So are numerous jieace delegates. But for all we can see- of them we might as well be in New Zealand. Tbere is no sign that anything unusual — anything of import— is happening here ; and yet we understand that to-day the peace delegates have to give their answer: peaes or fight to a finish. And we — well, it doesn't eeem to matter much to xis. Most of us, I am afraid, would like to see a little fighting, and are hoping that the peace negotiations will not be successful. But let me tell how the Ninth arrived at Vereenigmg. After lying idly at the anchorage off Durban for two days, we were allowed to proceed to the. inner harbour, a^d the work of disembarking our horses began. In a few hours the horses were all ashore, and were led in a long string — one man to two horses — along a sandy beach to our camp on the Showground. Our orders were- to allow the horses plenty of time to roll if they wanted to. Did they want to roll? Bather! One of the horses I was leading went down 11 times on that mile walk, and Beamed to enjoy the luxury more and more oc each succeeding occasion. Durban ie a most interesting place to spend a few days in ; but by this time everybody in New Zealand has read about the rich sh aw boys and their picturesque garb. It was, however, new to "most of us to see these splendidly made Zulus running along the streets with their noiseless vehicles, and ws appreciated the general leave which was granted by Major Jackson.

On tho fourth day of our stay in Durban ■we received orders to entrain for Newcastle. Four trains were provided, one for each squadron, and the horses and men, baggage and forage, were entrained at the rate of about an hour and a-ha!f per squadron.

For miles we pasned through immense fields or garden? containing bananas and pineapp'.es, and began to understand why Natal h?s been called the Garden of South Africa. During the night we had out troubles with the hor?es. Sometimes the train had to be stopped for an hour or so while a truck was unloaded so as to get up a horse that had falten. Next day we passed i through the historical country over which ' Euller made his advane?, and saw the battle- j field of Color.so and the Tugela River. As one looked to right or left of the railway lino the eye was constantly met by small ■white crosses or laiger monuments— -li<re a solitary grave, there a group of 40 or 50. For miles and miles one never lost sight of these neatly kept graves.

At Ladyemith we stayed nearly two hours to water and feed our hpr-es, and. had no difficulty in recognising the flat-topped Bul•wana; while otfrer points of interept, such as Waggon Hill. Cesar's Camp, Lombard's Kop, etc., were pointed out to us. We detrained at Newcastle, after sncr.'Jing about ?6 hours in the train, and led our horses - e>ut to the camp allotted to us, about two mil« 6 from the township. Newcastle is a. very uninteresting little p n ace, but from oar camp we* could tee tho top of Majuba away to our north warde. The only event of interest that occurred at Newcastle -was a parade held by General Lyttelton for the purpose of presenting th«> D.S.O. and other decorations to tome officeis and privates. We were mounted, and formed two sides of a hollow square, the tl'ird side being formed by Yeomanry and infantry: while the General stood under tho Union Jji-ek on the fourth «d<>. After that, markers were put out, and ue marched past the General in column of trocps. By* the w?y. General Lyttelton is commander of the forces in Natal, and weare an enormous numbpr of ribbons on his left breast. At Newcastle Colonel Porter joined us and took over the command. Our bc-11 tents were called in, and we were provided with smail shelters, into which four men can creep. This form of tent is, I understand, Colon -1 Porter's own idea. Tho little tefit is familiarly known as a " bivy " — a contraction, I suppose., of bhounc.

At the- end of a week's stay at Newcastle we were glad to receive orders to entrain once morp, thia time for E'ardffontein. 10 miles from Johannesburg. 'Ihis wa.- another long, wearisome journey, with the usual unforeseen stoppages. Here ard there we passed a cohimn encamped near the lino. Now and again an armoured train patrolled the line ahead of us. All a'ong the line blockhouses were dotted, and an immense amount of work has been dono in the way of digging tranches and erecting barbed-wire entanglements.

At Elaridrvfontein we were encamped for a ■week, and the day after our arrival tho Seventh New Zealand marched in under Major Bauchop. A few days afterwards the North Tsiand Battalion of the Ninth New Zealand arrived, and camped alongside of us. For a few days there must have bean about 1500 New Ze.alanders in the camp. A wry successful camp concert was held at tho Elandsfontein camp, tho principal performer? from the South Island Battalion being Major Jackson. Captain E'der, Captain Mac Donald, Captain M'Millan, and Lieutenant .T^ck. Two waggons were placed end to end* a piano was procured, the officers brought tlreir lanterns, ha'f a doz"n <nur«ing s<'sWs came down from one of the Elandsfontein field hospital, and wcro accommodated with seats on one waggon •while the performers moimted the other. A powerful searchlight swept the veldt for miles beyond us, and every now and thpn ■was turned on our little group with startling effect.

While we were at Eland-fontein orders were issued that 10 men were to be selected from the South Inland squadrons to proceed to the Coronation ce-rernony, and th© men finally chosen from our battalion wore Corporal D. M'Laron, Corporal Jainta Topping. lance-corporal J. G Smith, Lance ccrporu.l T. F. Donehue, Lance-corporal T. R. Home, Troopers James Kerr, S. Temploton, R. Morrison, W. S. M'Morrin, and J. A. Stanaway.

Colonel Porter left us at Eland^fontem to proceed in charge of the Coronation Con--%ingent, and Major Abbott assumed command of the brigade, with Major Jackson in command of the South Island Battalion, end Major O'Brien in command of the North Island Battalion. Major Bauchop, it is understood, proceeds to the Eighth, which is somowhere in the neighbourhood of Hprk~<lorp-

battalion? have now six squadrons •seh. this arrangement having been made

by Colonel Porter to provide for the officers and men joining from the Seventh. Each squadron in the South Island Battalion had to transfer 25 men to the new squadrons, and the South Island squadrons are now lettered A, B, C, D. Dl. and D 2. The two new squadrons are under the command -of Captain Ross (Dl) and Captain Richardson (D 2).

It was generally understood that we were to remain at Elandsfontein for at least a fortnight, until the mueh-taiked-of Peace Conference had been held ; but the unexpected happened, and we suddenly received order.* to move out on our first trek. It was freely whispered about in camp thae it was to be a three days' trek, and that our destination was Yereeniging. ths town at which the peace delegates were to- meet. This turned out to be the case.

Our first experience of trekking was not a very satisfactory one. We left camp at Elanclsfontein at 8.30 a.m., and did not arrive in camp at Klip River Utitil 5 p.m., nearly nine hours doing about 15 or 16 miles. Tho delay was caused by our transport taking the wrong road, and having to go back miles to get on to the right road again. We lay about on the veldt for hours in the noonday sun wait og for the wretched thing to come up to us.

Vereeniginar is a little bit of a wayside place on the banks of the Vaal River, and consists of a store of corrugated iron buildings scattered about on a level piece of veldt. There i^ also a large burgher refugee camp, a well-equ'ppcd burgher field hospital, and a large native location. Our camp is about a mile to thp er-st of the town. But mcrt interesting of all jls the camp for the peace delegates, which is situated about a mile to the west of the tajyn. This camp is strictly " out cf bound=," but, seen from a distance, it looks capable of accommodating a couple of hundred persons in comfort. Its large marquees and numerous bell tents appear to covt-r several acres.

Although we are apparently holding ourselves in reaclinofs to start on the trek at an hour's notice, it is generally thought that we shall " mark t'me ' here until euch time as the peacp negotiations are concluded. We hear that Botha and De Wet are already here, and that about 30 or 40 ethers arrived by train th' 3 morning. It is also rumoured that Lord Kitchener and Lord Milner have arrived, but we have become accustomed to taking all rumours with a grain of salt. If the negotiations fal' through I expect wp shsll «o out on trek at coce. On the other hand, if peace is arranged it is probable that we shall stay here in camp for some time.