LORD KITCHENER TO TAKE SUPREME COMMAND.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 11581, 13 October 1900, Page 2

LORD KITCHENER TO TAKE SUPREME COMMAND.

Dr. Findlay has been elected a member of the Victoria College Council, in p ace of Dr. James, resigned.

VILJOEN'S COMMANDOES • HEMMED IN. Received October 13, 9.3 a.m.' London, October 12. — It is understood that Lord Kitchener will tako supreme command in South Africa to settle matters. The Standard states that Commandant Viljoen's commandoes are completely hemmed in. their only alternatives Jbeing to starve or surrender. , ' [PER .EREBB ASSOCIATION! Wellington, October 13. — The AgentGeneral, in a letter to the Government, reports that there his been paid out or the Australasian Bushmen Fund raised in London £200 towards the expenses of the New Zealand Bushmen Contingent. This brings -the amount raised througk the New Zealand Agency in London for the New Zealand Bushmen Contingent to £2442 10s 6d. Sergeatit-Major Ppwles, of the Fourth Contingent, writing' to his friends at "Wellington, from Malmain, on 22nd August, says :—": — " Major Davies seems to be very much thought of here; he is now in command of the whole 4th Regiment, . Major Francis being invalided. He is a ! grand little fellow, , and every man has perfect confidence in him." Writing from Newcastle to a friend in New Plymouth on Ist September, Trooper Webster, formerly of Mokau, says: — " I put in a few days' training, and was then packed off to the front. I caught the regiment (the Imperial Light Infantry) up at Greytown, and we had a nice dustytramp up the country through Dundee, Pomeroy, and Newcastle. We irpve the Boer 3 before us through the above places, but only had a few skirmishes ; they wouldn't stand at all and let us,have a fair ' pop.' General Buller gave us a spell in the mountains about stc miles off Laing's Nek. We were there about three weeks trying to draw them, but no fear ! General Buller had to send all his troops away and get at thorn through another pas 3. The regiments he left guarding Laiug's Nek were the Scottish Rifles, 3rd King's Royal Rifles, Rifle Brigade, Durham Light Infantry and thelmperial Infantry. Wo had been without blankets or great coats since leaving Greytown, and you can tell it was cold. We used to get up in the morning and brush the frost off us; and we had no tents, cither the Boers' shrapnel burst amongst us, and killed a few, but General Buller , got round Majuba Hill and the Boers are flying yet." The writer contiuues by stating that the .first rain for the season fell two days before writing. The troops." he adds, " are troubled with "Kitchener's Light Horse," and you see every shirt and under shirt off in the mornings hunting ..for them; they are terrors and have to be -sought every morning." Trooper Webster was in the best of health and wished to be remembered to all his friends in Taranaki.