THE WAR.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXII, Issue 219, 10 November 1900, Page 1

THE WAR.

GOOD FORAGBta .... A UHXH received bom a New Zeac land, troJper lately, who hails from Hastings, and intend* to return to " the hob of the universe " when duty permits, includes the statement that the New Zealanders, while quite willing to take pot lack, and pat ap with short rations when inevitable, have no notion starving in a land of plenty. They are (the writers says) the best foragers in the British army. Just before writing his letter, he, with a few others, made a night visit to a Boer farm, at, of course the risk of being •hot, and succeeded in "loeatins;" twenty-one ducks, gome unprincipled people would have taken the lot, but . our friends contented themselves with only eighteen. There was great re- . joidag in the Second Contingent that SSQaFBD THKOUGH A TTJHMBL. The first account we have seen of tin manner in which Trooper Peterson . escaped from the Boers at Noitgedaoht, it given in a letter from trooper published in the Weipawn Mai. He aays:—Naoisgedachs is a township •couisting of a store and a railway •tation, situated in the valley of the JHands Biver, some seventy miles from the Portugese border. We were Jortuuate in meeting our old friend Sergeant BusselL The Sergeant having been a prisoner for some time, of tonne, knew all the in and outs of the place, and how to make the best of things. An open shed, about 85yds long, roofed with galvanised iron having jolt been erected, we took op oar quarters in one tnd of it. Rations were served out once a week, and aon■feted of ground mealie meal, dry peas, or sometimes beans instead, rice, low, green, and nnreasted coffee beans, and . * little sugar. live bullocks (t) were Idlled every week, and etch man's weekly share came to about 4ozi, Shortly after ear imprisonment we met •everal Australian members of the Border florae, who showed us a tunnel they were making, with a view of escaping. Their tent was near the ; fence, and consisted of a square hole dug inthe ground and roofed with a couple of old blankets sewn together. The ground was very hard and they only had an old pick and a shovel to work with. They worked in turns during the day, and at night carriad the spare earth away in sacks and boxes, and sprinkled it about the camp. A aentry was always walking up and down just outside .the fence, so one had to work very cautiously. The . Australians allowed several of our Mellows to join them in the work. On The 12th of July, a fortnight later, the tunnel was about 20 yards beyond the fence and it was decided to make the attempt that night. The night turned out very badly for the purpose, A strong wind during the day had turned jfcme of the reflectors of the electric light reund and one was f aoing the tunnel outlet, in addition to which a large grass fire was burning oh a hill overlooking the prison, and made the place almost as light as day. To make matters worse, by the time the fire bad burnt out the moon had risen. However, the first to emerge from the tunnel crawl away safely, also tbe Moond, The third wag trooper Amirew Peterson, Napier, who also got Safely away, but the fourth man lrbewas burdened with an overcoat ftnda lot of provisions, male such a noise that the sentry heard him, and Owli««3 en fourth page.

o>nttiuu& fnm front page. walking op, pat his baid on him anc took tira in ob»r«e The remainder o! oar D>ei meanwtih harriediy blockec the month of the tonne! with a box o! earth prepared for the purpose. Thi first mm to afloat h»d n<> provisioi 8 to n xl <i»y, f e ing hungry, he went to h bora* to <ry aid get some bre<d, tad » a prompt y arrested. Tht arc nd tn t< toot had provisions, anc •■ uctHiig uj r e ii«s been biard oi him we hope he gui through pafely Ft tenon also fos with hi u Term tins of fi h aid pr-serve i milk, ir addition to a number at M eoi S t« W ( have ainoa heard that he racbed thi British lit et, bnt cot btfire b« b»c keen waaoded several timta, firit bj the Boara near Mechedodorp, at d that by a Briiiih ontpjst which hi rode hto one night, thi hone he wai riding alio being shot Borthermore, is ii stated thtt he has been recommended tor the Distinguish! d Service Meda io const queries of the valuable inform ation he imparted regarding th» Boei positions around Maehadodorp, About a fortnight or so after hit escape the Boer teatii's told m of a man in kbarki, who had been seen galloping »b)ut in their lines neat . Hachadodorp. The Bots, our informant to'd as, were running aronec oiUing oat " k*ki, kaki," add gettioj their rifles and blrzDg away from all direct iuni, bnt the ultimately escaped 80 we, knowing what a young dar; davil Petersoi was, came to the con elation that it might have been him on a comminderr d horse.