THE MEN IN CAMP.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6721, 16 February 1900, Page 3

THE MEN IN CAMP.

TO-DAY'S PROCEEDINGS. J PREPARATIONsIm DEPARTURE. | ! No parade was aeld this morning, as .all the time which could be gained by an early j start was fully utilised in preparations for departure. Ti 6 l^t issues of clothing and equipments were made, and all the nibn were j busily engaged before breakfast in ."packing \ up tlieir many belongings. It is h ard to ' conjecture how half tho° h^g^ge is going j to the front, but tho men ar;: csi'talnlv v.*2'.l j provided with evdry necessary. One trooper remarked this morning' tliat, though hd had been saving up for the past fifteen years, he had never been so well off for clothes in ■his life, and several otiier men re-echoed the sentiment. The first mfcuntcd 'detachment of twenty-five men, each of whom ; was leading a spare horse with all his gear, lef fc- the camp, under Captain ••Kose, for Lyttelton via the Bridle Path, ot-8.30 a.m., and' the i various other detachment3 followed at short ! intervals. The store presented a scene of great activity, .andy under the able management of Corporal \v. E. Earnshaw, Canfer* bury Yeomanry Cavalry, . things went like clockwork. Mr Arthur Smith., manager for Messrs J. M. Heywood and Co. -personally supervised the carting, which was .carried out with despatch, and all the heavy cases j will have been taken away by this evening. Some of the northern horses were verv fit ] this morning, and ons or two of them bucked vigorously when beinsr led with their packs, in two or three cases breaking away! froni the men who were leading them. If theri is such a race ' as the Capetown Cup, it inight yet be won by a New Zealand Kprse, ' ; as' 'Blackberry, Orizaba, 'and 'othei well-known North I&lahd'hortes ara oh theif way to Smith' Africa" to ; do their duty, in N6j 2 Company; of the New Zealand. Contingent'! Captain LindSay, of the Canterbury Yeo- ■ manry Canlry, who ias s 6 ably dons a!l thfe mohnted training in ccr.nectioii with the Canterbury Troop, left cainp this morning, but Sergeant-Major Rhodes" ahd Corporals Parkinson and Earnshaw, ;of the Canterbury- Yeomanry Ca.vahy, ? ars going to remain until the contingent departs. Lieutenant-Colonel Slater, ; the officer commanding the camp, is going to do more, for ho and Camp Sergeant-MajOr Coleman intend remaining on the premises until ail- .Government, cr private property in connection with the Contingent has been removed. Siveral men of NOi\ 4 2, Company, who wera warned, and detailed for duty last night, considered ib desirable to visit town, and had a bad quartar of an hour w.th the Lisutejant-Colonel this merging in consequence. At breakfast this morning, CanipiStrgcant-Majcr Cok-man read the following letter from Mr G.VQ. Stead :-^ ■ , ._ ;_; -v - L: "To Captain Rose, Canterbniy Troop, New .". 'Zsoland Ro'Jghr,;Rld=rs. "Dear Sir,— l have • pleasura in advising you that 1031b c- tobaccb.has b*en forwardedto the Knight Texßlar;' addressed to your care. May I ask you'to distribute lib to each man of the Ganterbur}- Troop as eoon after year arrival on . board as may he found convenientv— Ycur3 truly, • ; ;' (Signed) G. G. STEAD." The yeadjng % of the letter was received with Ictud applause. C3mp-Sergeant-Maj;.r • Coleman also announcad that Colonel Penton had arranged that any pkekages ' properly labelled and addressed . and left in the produce store would be ferward:d to their several destinations. The kindly thoughtf ulness of Colonel Penton was greatly appreciated by the men. It had been expected that the appointment of the regimental officers of the Canterbury Troop would have been announced to-day; but Major Jowsey has decided to become further acquainted with the capabilities of his non-commissioned officers before making appointments, on which the future internal working of ths Troop will • so greatly depend. It is probable, however,, that the appointments in question will be made during the voyage. Lieutenant Lewin \fas 'swoiii" in : this morning. 1 " Premier ahtT Mr George Harris, of the Canterbury War Fund Committee, visited the camp this morning. Mr D. M'Lean, Mount 'Hutt, has forwarded's4 bags of chaff ; Mr A. Macfarlane, Alford Forest, 25 bags of chaff. The present sent to Trumpeter Fox from Messrs W. Strange and Co.'s estafblishment was frcm Miss Howarth's talble, and not from the tailoresses, as was notified previously.