TRYING DAY IN THE FIELD.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 13373, 6 May 1914, Page 4

TRYING DAY IN THE FIELD.

GA SEvS OF ; PTOMAINE POTSONIN ( \

;V- 1 .TAKAPAU, last 1 night. . .-■• Fortunately JTor ihe % 60Qp:-men« under canyafe at Takapau, the took a 'sudden change for the hotter late on Saturday night (states the Telegraph correspondent). ' -After, a. day of , heavy rain and- 1 bitterly' cold wind, the condi tiqns^ became more -pleasant.^ L«te 'Sat-; urday afternoon the wind developed into a gale of great .severity, accompanied by intense- bold, which, made the position of many men- whose .effects lia<l become wol anything but enviable. All the horsed were removed to the, shelter of ;.a belt 1 of 'pine trees,- but oven there tlie.poor l hadi to suffer -■»• great deail from cold: A grea^t number of marqueeJs and , several . tents, were, levelled .ito-f the, ground.. „ ; - >'-•.','.'' '.]'•■■■ '■', ./'';■' •■,':•''' Just before^'inidnight : the- rain '.eased offhand ■ -the" ..wind died down- simeivHat* rMornin^ b*oks fine but thteeaiening, with •' pr."keen witjd from the south-west. : The firjßt'^impse p'f 'the 4 *un-Hva» : greeted- all along the mite -and. ; a half of^ents. with; bhpers.'f "■' As-, the -day^ wore' on< the ; »sun : shone, brilliantly, and the wind ceased,- J The ;canip ground <lrie;d up Aery quiokly, anil the men wer^sbrin .m better. spirits. During, the affcernddn' many visitors, so(ne irom : «s far. north a$ Xapier, visited! the : cajnpJ DiVirife service for all de-nominations-was held "m the morning, eVery man attending. • live bands iii camp provided plenty of ; , music. -The- men.\ve»*e^'however, chiefly conqerned. ;i in a, couple ol football, matchcp, \vhicn wete -played m sp?te of orders. issued -f*oni headquaa-ter* to the '^effecf.'that^nb' games should be played v between pertain houraj'. .Teams lepresen^ing- 'Wellington" Eleventh Hegi- ! mQiit - ai\d *. tl le Seventh; al'anakl .*• mefr. The game ■ was extremely Exciting und Wt^ract^d. thousands of .spectators. iWx'l-v lington won" by .6 t<> S arrtidst, iiidesorily'labll -coif fusion a'itd' excitement.' Hawke's Bay played* vWa«gatttiiv -the game en(l- : ing in'na 'dmw"-^.«acli. 'i • • -^ ■• ■ 1 „,• TJHJ? ■O§OANISATIp^. " - ) :.>■> Tile ■ camp is ":vthb largest • ever held' ■ ''iif v 'the dominion,) and the ..head--quiirters and rpgimental staffs havei certainly proved equal ■•"•: to ' the immense ta^k of . p^;o;idinjj. for ,raen, f flnd hprgefc., Thfe connhissariat ' arrangements are rem^r.kably,good, m spite/of isplated complaints heard . iii that, cdnnectipn. Considering the large number* of men to be, •provided for, it is remarkable there arc no|.;<mpr§.."c.omplaints. >> In.,, some cases men are:' .dissa^cd; witli ■'- the quality of /the irationSj but it is only natural some joints should W a trifle tough. ; pn Fiiday over.- mi-ty members of the Tiiranaki ..reginient „'were.. strjcl^en. with, ptomaine poisoning, but only three were aeiaously affected and.o ne dangerously. All have now recovered. The poisoning resulted ..aftcir the, men had, partaken of apples left m tins after being iopened to the air. .

Owing; to 'this distance* the." cooked supplies have to be carried, the food reaches some, ppJd.v. IK :AJl < >.des])at'Ch or . observed,, but the; men^willjiiot" make Allowance for any delay, and complaints arc- frequently met with. ' ■ ■ • jOOMPAXY TAKE COMMENT), 1 Qn t -Saturday tnere was some, excitement amongst the Jtfnth Hawke's Bay Regiment. They wpre served with their mi^-day Tations ] wnd left ciynip for a day's training! raiu. : was /incessant, 1 and at; noon most,' of -the men. were wet thvpugtf. and chilled to the bone. About SOl/mori^ after .a Hurried consultation, deckled to cut and run for it. They left the i lines, making a-? bob-line ,for qarnp.* After cleaving the first wire fence' the seriousness of the position, was recognised by the s officers, -who went after the recreating, "Terriers." The men refused ■ $ g^H on 'Avitlf' the training', unti : thoise m lOontßol 'offered to, return* the wholei reginaent^to camp. Under .that condition the>-nilii returned, to the lines, and 'all thei /regiment was, ordered, back, There was \ much falling of <*scab" and j' -wowseray- 'but. all the, trouble had.ended j when, the camp wa&. reached, where hot tea was waiting tor. them, having been ordered; by an office who returned .on (horseback. An order- <\vas wlso. issued foiv tjhe. distribution, of dry blanket^ to those requiring them,/ but when the supply, store \va« reached none., were available. - „ ... ' „ ;

■' \ .■•,<■■ . • =i NOTES. - • " - -i.Colonel Hisloprhas* m .his -possession a. tastefully design^ s °U<i silver cup, which an. anonymous: donor has-present-ed to the Haw'ke's Bay Regiment. The trophy is, to be awarded to thei icompany which keeps its line 3 m the best condition. , Tlie preseutatiqn,.wijl.talce plapc at the ; clo's^ of the c^rnp. Competition for' the" cup is keen/ all the men being anxious to- do ;tbeir shai'o-'towards being tha fivst company) to hold-the trophy, - 1 "^liere have '"been remarkably; few •oamp offences,. One , member of the, jfaSvke's Bay Beglmefit was fined 10s fori druhkefliteks, 6nd ■ anothet 6s. fpr' strikirigr &< (non-oom. Tho : order ■ forbidding liquor being brought into.rcamp isrigorously enforced, and as a result only one cade ' of insobriety has come under my» notice. ■+■.': ■■;<". '. ;. ;•■■•■ ■■••■ li • ■\A WielUknowsir Ipeal, preacher fth»i?e»va tent .with .a v.parjßpn,. frojtji i^he jsouth.; Some wac, has written the . following sign on wi6 outside m large black let- ■ r t<&ki> i'The Drunkards^ Rest." , Til© gentlemen of th& cloth take,- the JQke m good> hji/mor, but ,the mej» derive, moya merrimew from,! It, proudly pointing gut the inaoription. to 1 strangers. • ' ' The "Rualunes iwere- liberally boated ■ with snow yesterday, mornings but thei warm ' sun,- completely \ melt«d it' during the' day. : a : - ■ '■■-.-%

All., the- infantry brigades are doing company training to-day, and the mount ed brigade arc doir),-T squadron and regi mental training. ' . A FIRE ALA KM. •

At 3.30 this morning a slight com motion wivH.Qauspd m the Fifth.Jnfantrv Regiment's lines through a man m Cor poral Borbonugh's 4.e*»t, A Company, lighting' a -candle, which.' set -the st«a\\ on fire. The Regimental Fire Brigade, under. iSergeant;Major Lang,, turned out. and quickly .<ftippressed the flames. For tunatoly the .tent,; which .w.as wet, did not- c,atch fire. „