CORPORAL COUTTS LECTURE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXIII, Issue 35, 13 February 1901, Page 2

CORPORAL COUTTS LECTURE.

\v tho audience nsssmMc 1 ! si thn Theatre Moynl on Tucs.Vav v,\ij}A, to near (Jailor: -.1 C'ouf.t-i >.vo,-o ,ot :>,: unmovnus; ,is 'no'li knttiro n.tvl \c. L '.t<v: '(WCiTPiI those 'v!io v.'(!i-o t j'o;:et;' ••,:!oW('.<l an :sppivc : «t ; .r;i aw' chthurfia-mn 'vhich mnst heve be n vaiy to thn winner or 'lie Q, iwu.'i scarf. From fii'S* to 'asl; thf) uddrti ■: w.-is follower. w:thev:d,»,fc p'o tuvo ■■■irf

■-it; times tho app'aire w.v: j;aric;ii!r iy j lifitity and wod sustained. 'J rp rd (Joints is not, and does nc'. iv'aitn 10 b ipro c e.rsic!ial h.:.'tii;o', but bo ha* the} stirring events in which ho : 'i-s lake* ii j prominent put s.) well iinpivs.se'.; up:.:i hismiud, th;.t it. is evident very !i«.»J ~'liovt of memory is necessary t) g;vo :. griphieaud luiisecuiivu -au'ivtive 01 t",e chut' incident which pa** d uooYr iiis notice, tie undoubtedly p ;s-:f ss;s more than oreinary abiity a< a rata')teur, but lacks just tint skilful handling of a subject wbiih makes the professional, and is so notictable in the introduction and skilful handling if thrsa litt'e anecdotes which servo as ■ auce to the more solid fare. H Avever the story v/ss thoroughly interesting, and the humorous incidents caus-.d much lau?h'o'', while the many examples of heroism and pluck' wure applauded to'the echo. His Worship the Miyor (Mr. E. Dockriil) pre-iided, bciog *upported by Mr. E. M. Smith, M.H.R., find the Bon. Jennings. In introducing the lecturer the Mayer paid a graceful tribute to the services 1 f the New Z aland Contingents who lnd won tbe praise of so distinguished a sdJ-'er as Eirl Roberta, and," he added, Taranaki hid every reason to be proud of the fact that in Corporal Coutts they bad a man who had brought honour *o the colony by winning the Qu-eo's scarf. (App'aus°.) Uorpowl Coutts, on 0 ming forward, was received with loud ami p ooa;'».t cheers, the audience rising while the j City Band playd '• Sae the. Cor.qus'ing J Hero 00-jks." After describing t'"e; incidents of the voyage, which ebb fly consisted of a continuous roirid of duty and tho loss of wverul ho. sss, the lecturer briefly referred to the enthusiasm of their reception at wlun they were g-eeied with ' G"od Old New'Z-wlanderc, wo thought yoni were blick but wo can see you'r-* wbj'c." Prom thence 'q D' Naauport there wis little of impor auc. j tore'ato, but at tho la't'r place ih ir first duty, that of outpost, b gm. His description of their rwo smdl tins of provisions, cocoa and condensed meat, served out to eich man was wry droll and caused much amusement. A graphic sketch of the succe'ding engagements enib'ed tha audionse '.o realise the perils of warfare, and made them wonder tlna*; anyone survived to tell the tale. Afrer doing rsoort duty to the artillery, an honour th\t was greatly appreciated, the contiog nt left Arundel Hiding iu tho dork, and at dawn they saw the artillery coming into action. Corporal Courts' deic ip tion of this was, perhaps, one ef the best in the lecture, and his evident enthusiasm over what he descab'd as "the smar eat artillery in the wold" vstssharedby the whole audience. From that time onward-* un'il ent'-aioing for the homeward joum~y each day had its incidents of a more or less stirring | character. He described Trooper | Enderby's narrow escipj and depicted j tho storm of bullets wlvch wero flying j around the men whilst tlioy crossed au ] open space, giving a tribute of pr rise so Co). Ribin for pluck in pmijjually j crowing the line of fire to get his moo out instead of stndh g an orderly in the u<?uul way. The brilliant nr-h at New Zealand hill was well por'.r»yed apd its narration elected great applause especially in connection with Oil. Maddock's shire of ftie triumph. As a conbras'; ta this was a gruesome night scene, looking for the deid and wounded. Another, but different, srene followed and caused much laughter. It was a well-told story of getting pevches from * carden sub rosa. Tbe at Popltr Groy, the sharpest be experienced, was graphically and after his drsprip'ion'of the Modder River, thy incubator of typhoid or entei ic, no en 1 cou'd wonder at tin scouee be : ng so deadly or so far reiching in its effect''. The action for which he was awn d-d the muqh-cqyetfld Qiiaeu's scarf was told with coram'ndable medesty but wng nom tha le-s acceptable on that, account', A rousing hurst of app'ausc marked the high appreciiti n in which the audience held his ga'lait ao L ion and ; while the bind played " S I'dies if the Qupen " the audience standing as a mark of respect \,o the h^r■) of the day, It is only ju«tto that heoUinaod for Sergeant Morgan a goad dea' of the credit for the success cf the >esiue. | The cleverest an«cd'te iu the Uecur.that in which he re'a'ied his experience of carrying off a pumpkin and on the way meeting wi'h a s'afi'< fficer. The mannor in which hedes.'rhi-rl he had to part c >mpany with that pumpkin sobs not to bo found suihy of a brraeh of discipline and thi skilfu ! way ia which after anowt-ring the iquestion he led up to tho nnalp, "ard that staff officer wis Lord Kitchen' r, bo that what bus bfen said about his heing harsh and not spaking to tho men must be devoid of truth" was worthy of a thq ough artist. The '<ntry into Pre ovia and hoisting the flag were just touched upon, and tin l galhnt charge heiderl by Lord A'rlio who " fnremos'. fighting fell" was tnuchingly niri-ated. The last; s'.and made by Cron jo and also by Beth'* wrf well dwcHbad, and mnny other incidents too numerous to mention, but nil ef gr.-at interest, we-e pa'sod befoie the audience in an intelligent ind impressionable way. The lee uro ws included with a description of the j ouptry from an agricultu.'l «nd min»ral point of view, and with a vm'v | warm eulo«y of the Er.g'ish " Tool any " who would share his laht biscuit w-i h his colonial comrade, whose ppur-i h would perloin from the back of tt e tent and offor for fah to the owne. next morning. Qn the motion of Mr. E, M, Smith, a hearty vote of thanks was accorded to Corporal O'mtts for his int'restinp lecture, and a similar compliment pui' I to the Mnyor for presidins?, the City 5 Band c'osing the proceedings hyp tyJing a verse of the Na'iona's Anthmu.

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