THE RHODESIAN FIELD FORCE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6937, 29 October 1900, Page 4

THE RHODESIAN FIELD FORCE.

NEWS OF THE FIFTH CONTINGENT. . THE (DEATH OF CAPTAIN ABBUTHNOT. ! A SOUTH AFRICAN STORM. [Fbom Our Corkespqndent.] : , OTTOSHOOP, Sept. 6. .. (Aftar the engagement at Malmani t'here■was desultory fighting for days in tfio viciaity of Ottoshoop... Ob August 20 the >New. .^ea^^nders and some other of the colonial^ •<inbou.njtCTei the enemy three _ oniicif along; the Lichtenburg Road, arid, after, an ho^rot so, drove them back. It was .not a 'fbloodleSS enqounter, for the a,dijutantof the New Zealand force, Captain Arbuthnot, aiv : Imperial officer who was attached to the contingents at Marandellas, was hit, a Mail-, ser bullet going right through him. For atfew days fie progressed so well that no danger was anticipated, and he was removed to Maf eking. A few days later word came *ha* he sank rapidHy, and died on Sept. 1. Captain Arbuthnot had made himself ex : ceedingly popular with the New Zealanders. He was a conspicuous figure in the ch'argfe lat Mtfmawai, or Haicvey Hill, encouraging .the men\ and exposing himself need.lessly..; It was bis reckless diaring that drew tho Boer fire on him. The same afternoon that Captain Arbuthmorti met with his death wound, the enemy . made a diversion on the other (the Zeenist) • aidie, and nearly! succeeded in cutting off a. party olf Victorians. A company of South Australians, another of Paget's Horse, and

a Pom-pom gun went to their assistance, and after some sharp fire the Boers were driven 'back, and the Victorians relieved. The enemy's fire was particularly brisk as the gun was coming into action, and Lieutenant Gilpin, of South Australia, who .was conveying an order to the gun, fell close .by it and never spoke, three bullets going right through him. When the Pom-pom commenced to "talk" it did so to such purpose that the rifle fire speedily slackened and soon stopped altogether, pur forces retiring to camp as dark-. jiess set in. Besides Lieutenant Gilpin. being . killed; there were several wounded on .oil side, loss to 1 the Boers i§- kfljo^yji to have been oonsidera'ble, some of .the shegii having •beeft..seen : tf>t^ke. deadly effect:'"' On August 23, tJie : first brigade of "the Ottoshoop' force marched to Zeerusfc with at convoy -for Lord Methuen's force, who [were quartered at the. latter place. The ioroe- returned .to Ottoshoop-ion August, 27, Lord Methuen preceding it and going on to M&feking." Since; then the Force, or the bulk of | it, that left Mafeking under General Cprringtail, has. been resting here, a little snipirvg" going oh at the. outposts, for there are still a few Boers hovering about the district 1 . The Fifth New Zealonders made a capture of two. wounded" Boers, "and they shot dead ' three of.the same party. The Force is very anxious to move' on, and -do something, and • tho talk is- thatiPretoria' is our immediate destination, and that when we !get there we are to be disbanded. The more lately arrived New Zealanders had their first experience of a South African storm OB August^29. They were awakened with heavy rain beating on them, and during the day there were thunder and lightning, with occasional showers. As night closed in, the storm increased, and at eight o'clock the elements were- itt a most tempestuous .nioqd, the . strong, wind feeing accompanied by ; a h'eiavy tia&stormj while 'the' hfcavens were literally ablaze with lightning. ' Most of the (man.; bad to stan^ up ail night, aid ralthoUgh it Was an experience tlia.t"on9' cigujd, appreoiate, t<io many repetitions of .fcufeh; storms would cause iome to wish the. soldier .bafitia pxvm qyartera. At exposed M^fe-

king, the storm did more damage tharo the seven (months' siege, most of the houses, being unroofed, and two men were killed ■by the roofing iron, flying aibout. It appears that th« Elands Rirver garrison, under Colonel Hore, -were relieved by Lord Kitchener's force on* August 16, eleven days after the Rhodesia force retired. It was very unfortunate thab General Carrington ordered the retirement, for when his troops commenced to fall Track, the -Boers were in tho act of retreating, one of their big guns Having been disabled. The Boer force was 2500, and General Ganrington's division oiight to have. been. quite a!ble to have more >il^.|^{l^d.oldth : '4ug^.a force. Colonel Hore's Bjtle tfsufrct iftade a very gallant defence, and though 'repeatedly {urged by the Boers to surrender, had no 'thoughts of doing so. General Gairington has retired from the command dfthe : - Rhbd'esian force in the Transvaal, and has gone back to Bulawayo. v ■•" 'Sergeant-Major Jekyll 'has been promoted to he* lieutenant in the Fourth Contingent. . . • Another, young New. Z.ealano>r that .has gained his lieutenant's star is Mr Ferguson, of Christchurch, who is attached to the ambulance with Dr De Renzi. We learnt in toanvp the other day that Lieutenant-Colonel Frarocis had been in- j valided home, suffering from nervou« prostration. Captain Fulton was not so well as could ' be wished at latest accounts. He was on the walking list prior to the great storm, but, catching cold, had to take to his bed again.