LETTER FROM THE FRONT.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 4870, 3 July 1901, Page 3

LETTER FROM THE FRONT.

The following letter has been received in Waipori from Trooper Thomas Hynes, who left Lawrence to join the Sixth Contingent, dated Petersburgh, 20th April :— Jaßt a line to let yon know my opinions of \ soldiering and the climate of South Af rioa. I ] feel first-class at present, but goodness knows how long it will last, as this is an awful unhealthy place. Stronger fellows than lam ! are going to the hospital every day with fever : acd dysentery. We are terribly scarce of - writiDg materials. I borrowed a pencil and a took this sheet of paper out of a book I fonnd in a Boer house. Some of the people here had splendid houses and furniture, but they < have been wrecked. In some houses we see : grand pianos completely destroyed. It is , i impossible to get stamps. After we left Pre- ■ toria, under General Plumer, I got sunstroke ■ and went a little hit off my " dot." I was \ sent back to the hospital at Pretoria, but I was all right in three days, The only effects ' ' I feel now is headache on hot days. I lost the run of the main column, but fell in with a party of 50 who were left at the Gape, and we went on after the main body. When we reached Warm Baths, 30 of us (inplnding myßelf) were left for the purpose of scouting in the neighbourhood. Leaving 10 men in camp, the other 20 went out under the guidance of a nigger to locate some Boers reported to be 15 miles out. We were going along smoking and chatting, when suddenly a volley from the front and each fiank told us that we had walked into an ambush of about 100 Boers.distant about 50 yards. Four horses dropped the first volley, and we made for the bed of a dry oreek close handy. W« got into it Bafely, and had four hours very warm work. We conld not see the Boere as they were well planted behind rooks, but our cover was very poor. One of our fellows got two bullets in the side and one in the hand, while another man got a bullet in the back of his brad, down through the shoulder and out at the elbow. They are in Pretoria Hospital, and, strange to say, neither are in any danger. The column had no fighting up to then. I and my horse esoaped scot free After our sorap we were sent on here, where we are waiting to join the column. We lost a man named Moore (from Canterbury) at Pinars through enteric— Very hungry on two and ahalf biscuits a day, . . .