OUR ROUGH-RIDERS CONTINGENT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXII, Issue XXXXII, 29 January 1900, Page 2

OUR ROUGH-RIDERS CONTINGENT.

Received 27, 9.30 a.m. Londov, January 26. The Hon. W. P. Reeves hassppeslti to colonists for subscriptions to eqnto 200 New Zealand rough-riders Mra provide oomforts for the New TrT"* Contingent. ••A» Wellington, January 27. The number of applicants o( roofferiders had iucreased by 1 o'clock to-day to about 400. The steamer Undaunted was toe* pected from Japan at Sydney on 2M January, but as no answer has bMB received from tho agents it is supposed! she has not yet arrived. In the meantime) no aoewfr can bo givon to applicants for cargo space until it I* ascertained whether she is capftbls of taking ths Rough-riders. As her to* nsga is now sail to be only 3200, ttfti foared she will prove unsuitable. * Lath.::. As there appears to be some doubt M to whether tho Government can pro* viJo transport for thu Rough-riders, Ik should bo mentioned that the [Tjmotsrl have to pay the cost. All that the vernmsnt do is to provide SUA facilities as they cm in the way of * steamer. It is not even settled wbetßST the Government pay begins from time of leaving, or from the arrival ** the Cape. Mr. John Primmer intends to gi*» another hundred guineas towards til# equipment of the Rou„'h-rilers. Christchubch, January 28. Oa Saturday, the practical trwiuin^

of the Canterbury troop was commenced at tho Show Gronnd Encampment. Foot parades were held at 6.45, 9.30, and 2.30, and a good start has been made. Stall Sergt.-Major Cole-! man reports the men as intelligent and wilting. The following acting appointments have been made, with the distinct proviso that they confer no right or to confirmation by the officers who will be permanently appointed:— Troopers Rose and Rule to be actingeergeents; Troopers Elisor, O'FarreU, Wilson, and Walker to act as senior troopers until farther orders, and perform the dutieß of corporals. Trooper Rose, appointed acting-sergeant, is an ex-captain of the Lyttelton Navals, - and one of the smartest drills in the company. I Lieutenant B. D. Buchanan and Trumpet-Major Thompson, both of the Canterbury Yeomanry Cavalry, joined the camp on Saturday night, and will aid in instructing the men. Lieutenant Buchanan is orderly officer for te-day (Sunday), Lieutenant A. H. Eaton Rhode*, of the same corps,'being next for duty. Foot parades were held at 6.45 and 9.30 thin morning, and the camp was thrown open to the public between 2.30 and 5 o'clock. Thiß evening, when large numbers of visitors were present, Sir Arthur Douglas visited the camp. On Saturday a wire was received in Christchurch, of the same date, stating that Colonel Penton bad confirmed the appointment of M»jor Jewßey to the command of the troop. Several citizens have promised to lend homos for the use of the troop, as at pment there are only 11 horses in camp, and these are not sufficient to conduct riding tests with. It is anticipated that great difficulty will be experienced in buying suitable hones. Wight Soath Canterbury men, of good stamp, came up by express on Scfcorday night. Tho selection from the 120 men, who have not yet been examined, will take place on Tuesday.

A HUMOROUS SHEET. Copies of a newspaper published at Ladysmith on November 27 have reached the colonies. This publication is called The Ladysmith Lyre, and while it will serve to while atfay the .hours of the soldiery, it makes many home thrusts under the gaise of fiction. ■ The object of the paper is frankly ■tated to be the collection of falsehoods, end no effort -is apparently spared to afford the besieged garrison a fair measure of amusement at the —««ll charge of 6d. The Czar is reported to have issued instructions for mHot peace conference, and Pretoria ii as the probable meetingjJ.m Another item infomrs the public V 1 ** Mrs. Kruger, who continues in excellent health, complains that the Resident is becoming too English, and tbat he no longer goes to bed in hat and boots. A cable from London give* the interesting information that thi Lord Mayor has appointed a Mansion Committee for the relief of Lady—..'th, and tbat the 2nd Army Corps has been discovered in the pigeon-boles of the War Office. Gsnertl Erasmus is implored to call at Caesar's Camp, or " Waggon Hill, to meet tommy Atkins, when he will hear of something to hit advantage. *ln the Publisher's Column the public is invited to buy Sir C. F. dory's work on " Minor Tactics," and ■ Winston Churchill's new bock, " Fiom Park Lino to Pretoria."

WAR ITEMS. The Briton brought to Natal the amazing quantity of 6,000,000 rounds of email-arm ammocitioi, and 100 tons cf fitted shell. It Is stated by a very reliable military aoarce that the lotelligecce Department estimate of the total available Boer and Free State force btfore the war commenced was 70,000 men. It is stated that the Standard Bank of Itort Elizabeth is doing the private work of the British army there without commission, as a tooip'imont to the men who are fighting our battles. The Spion Kop is apparently the key of the Boer position, and is strongly entrenched —in fact, has tiers of entrenchments, which have to be captured one after another. Ik is remarkable that during the last few day* in Natal it has been the Jttmtiah who are taking the Boers by eeryiw, and not vice versa, as has been the cmb hitherto. laax boys seeking strayed cattle recently, wane captured by the Boere. After killing a couple of them the enemy ordered the remaining two, having fint flogged them, to bury the of their comrades, and then go to Kimberley and tell their fciends how they had been treated. Mr. J. Powell Williams, Financial Secretary to the War Office, says that when all tha troop? under orders have arrived in South Africa there will be 14 regiments of cavalry, seven batteries of horse artillery, 27 field batteries find one mountain battery, and infantry and details, which, excluding the cap?ured make a total of 89,070 British troops. The total of all arm?, with naval brigades and local forces included, is 105,770. A Natal paper says" One cannot but sympathise with tbo unhappy Boer women, whose position on the neglected forma cf the Transvaal and the Free State is truly pathetic. Their husbands, brother?, and eons bavo gone to the war. They can get no truthful «ooount of what is taking place. They

4oo't really know whether those nearest and direst to them are living, dead, or i»oun<tad. They ore being deceived, as tlia Boers thecsjlves were deceived before they went to the war. And V with all their anxiety for the fate cf their relatives, the women are trying to do men's work at home under adverse circumstances, in reapicg crops and tilling the ground. No wonder some of them have been driven to desperation, aid have gone to the front themselves." General White has promised to raommet d Trooper A. W. Evans, of the,' jsV.a: Counted Rifles, for t!« \ ic'oru <Vo»< (-ys the Halal Wilis, i). Y„nug Ev»< .11» eon of Major R. • Ev.ms, i,i* iieed will cast additional lustre on N M.U. Oo Saturday, 28tb prox.,l lSv.«i,e fivo others were c. -atrolj dut? f, mewhera on tbe other aide of tfc» Hfllptaakaar Ridge. Troopers {jtydiog and lawfabwg w«w ah»a

on foot when tho enemy, who were concealed, fired upon them. Lundsberg, who was in charts oi-uercrf them to retire, but Golding's horse bu.L.o away. The enemy were advancing, but Evans, under a heavy fire, gallopep after the careeriug hor?e, captured it, aDd brought it back, when his brother trooper was able to mount, and they got away together. Evans>' act was a particularly brave one, as ho went soma distance within the zone of the enemy's fire, and was alone in peril of his life, and but narrowly escaped capture by the Boers. Considering Trooper Evans' act, and the high recommendation, there is little doubt that already one V.O. is safe for the N.M.R.