THE TRANSVAAL.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2954, 28 November 1900, Page 2

THE TRANSVAAL.

THE KRUGER DEMONSTRATION. United Press Association —Ter El icLrtc Telegraph—Copy: i Received 9.10 a.m., November 27th. BERLIN, November 26. The German newspapers declare that the Kruger demonstrations will merely encourage the Boers who are in ike field to continue a useless struggle. DEATH OF A COLONIAL. Received 10.52 p.m., November 27th. LONDON, November 27. Private Fulton, of the New South Wales mounted men, died of his wounds at Kroonstad. BOERS PROPOSE TO RAID THE CAPE FRONTIER. Received 0.15 a.m., November 28th. LONDON, November 27. The Boers propose to raid the Cape frontier, hoping that the disaffected Dutch will rise. Per Press Associate u Horse, for Lyttelton. A meeting of citizens was held this afternoon to consider what steps, if any, should be taken to welcome back the members of the First Contingent who are returning by the Harlech Castle, and who will disembark at Dunedin. As it is uncertain whether the 42 North Island men on board will come on together from Otago, or whether they will find their way home in twos and threes after arrival, the meeting did not make any arrangements. If it transpires that the whole of the North Island men are coming back; via Wellington at one time, and if it is felt desirable that a public reception should be accorded them, the Mayor will call another meeting. LETTERS FROM THE FRONT. We have been shown by Air Gould a few letters he has received from time to time lately from his son Horace Gould, a youngman of twenty, who is a member of Brabant’s Horse, in South Africa. He was employed in Air R. Bowie’s shop when the call for Volunteers for South Africa was made, and he was anxious to go. He applied for enrolment in the Third Contingent, spent ten days in the Rough Riders’ camp, passed the doctors, and the riding and shootingtests, and was sworn in and measured for a uniform. He was a certain selection, but at nearly the last moment a rejected applicant “ peached’’ on him—informed the selection committee (hat Gould had a glass eye ! He was taken again to the doctor, who was asked pointedly if there was not something wrong with his eves, and the doctor on inspection of them said there was not. This shows that the optician who fitted him made a very good match. Gould admitted it, said it was “ all up,” for he had a glass eye, and henceforth that doctor will have a greater respect for the glass-eye trade. Gould tried again with the Fifth Contingent, but the colonel recognised him as (he man with an excellent match in artificial eyes, and he was refused acceptance. He was now determined to go to South Africa, and with another Timarn man, James Cuthbcrt, worked his passage on the steamer Fernfield, from Tlmaru to East London. Hero he and Cuthbcrt, with 20 other New Zealanders who laid gone over in the Tropea. in charge of horses, joined Brabant’s Horse, and within a few days they were drilling at Bloemfontein, and soon j after started for the front. (It is not yet in evidence whether Brabant or any of his officers either know or care whether Gould has an eye that is not an optical instrument.) The earlier of the letters shown us (not the first received from him, but the fifth

and succeeding ones) differ from most of those we have published inasmuch as they are an invalid’s letters, written from hospital. The first is dated Kroonstad, 28th, and explains how the writer came to be in hospital. Major Thomas sent about 300 of his force to capture or drive off a. force of Jloers reported ,to number 150 ; but when they got near them they were found to ire about ten times 'as many. The capturing expedition was cornered, fired at from all directions, and had to spend the night out on the veldt, a particularly cold night; they had no covering, and their clothes were wet with the perspiration of the previous hot day. They were relieved at day-break, but five of them were ill from the exposure, and had to go into hospital. Gould had pneumonia and pleurisy, and suffered terrible pain. This sickness was a slice of bad luck as lie had been nominated for selection as corporal. He adds that Cuthbert was left at Bloemfontein, sick with enteric, but a later letter states that he had recovered and returned to duty.

A few days later Gould wrote that he was recovering well, but had been greatly pulled down by illness and dieting. The doctors were surprised that he prilled through, as he lay out on the veldt three nights before he was got to the hospital, and his temperature was up to 106 for five days. He mentions that he had been in some hand-to-liand fighting. “ Lying down firing round the side of an ant-hill is all right,” but when it comes to hand-to-hand —“ the game is not what it is cracked up to be.” “ I managed to get a blow in the chest from a rifle butt, which I did not appreciate.” Before coming to Kroonstad he had been on convoy duty, a twelve days’ journey with 37 waggons from Bloemfontein (118 miles), followed all the way by the enemy, and sniped at whenever the road lav between kopjes. They got tired of this and arranged a trip, leaving some men and Maxims behind, and the rest returning on their tracks for ten miles caught the Boers between two fires, “and gave them a regular doing.” He remarks : “ One good thing is that we get full pay in hospital. What surprises me is that if one is taken prisoner all pay stops. 1 suppose that is to try and make the men work hard not to get taken.” Tobacco and matches were not to be got, and “ it is a groav shame how things are worked. Fifteen tons of tobacco have been sent out as a gift for the troops, but I have never met a man yet who has received any.” The next letter is dated Sept. 14th, and states that he was fully recovered, but was to be kept in hospital another week to be “ fed up a bit.” He has some interesting remarks about differences in hospitals. “ I am in the Scottish National Red Cross Hospital, got up by people at Home; entirely a private affair. It was a good job I escaped the military hospital. They are nothing but a source of sorrow for the Tommies, as you get half-starved in them. In this one I am fed like a. fighting cock, —port wine, calves foot jelly, and all that sort of thing, so it does not take long to pick up.” He says that the army does not hear so much about tire war as the people of New Zealand, and he had not heard till the day before (when Cuthbert told him) that Corporal Byrne had been killed. He says : “ Out here one soon alters his opinions about the Boers on the whole. Some of them I have come in contact with you could not wish for more straightforwad Christian men. 1 have got a fine gold ring which a Beer for whom I rendered a. service gave me, before he died in our hospital.” The last letter to hand is dated “In camp at Yredeporfc, Oct. 121 h." Referring to his advice and hope tint ho was keeping good company, lie bids his father not to worry on that score. There are lots of bad characters, but one need iv.it associate with them, and he had two .particular .hums, both very decent you eg fellows—one from Christchurch, the other frora Wellington, sons of well known men in those places. It is a pity, he says, to see the gambling that goes on Some of the men hardly give themselves time to unsaddle before they are at it. They had recently had some hard fighting, and had just driven De Wet across the Yank The writer had just been promoted for bringing a wounded sergeant out of the firing line. He had narrow escapes himself. Some time previously he had a horse shot, under him, the bullet going through his trousers. A few days before writing lie was holding four horses, when three of them were killed by a shell bursting among them, and he was himself unhurt. The next day he was scratched in the thigh by a bullet. lie was also captured and made a prisoner. “ The Boers took my rifle, bandolier, watch, and riding trousers, and released me next day. They are so short of food that they cannot afford to keep prisoners now.” He had just been transferred to the First Brabant’s. He could join the police for two years, but did not fancy the country, and would prefer to get back to Bowie’s.” As for the country, he says in one of his letters The country would need a lot of describing. It ivould not do for growing wheat, unless under a system of irrigation, and there are no rivers to speak of. The Mcdder river (what he saw of it) is not much bigger than Wai-iti creek, and they think it is a great river.”