AT DUNTROON.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1373, 26 February 1912, Page 2

AT DUNTROON.

LIFE AT AUSTRAfcIA'S-MILITAET COLLEGE. ■Writing to his parents, Mr. W. I. K. Jennings, son of Dr. Jennings, of Christchurch, gives an excellent idea of the life at tho Duntroon Military College, tho Australian West l J oiat. Mr. Jennings was one of tho first six cadets sent to Duntroon from the Dominion, aud he has already acquitted himself creditably, being sixth on the list of seniority tit the college for the year. Seniority, lie says, depends upon the marks gained in examinations, ami tho judgment of the principal. Cricket, of course, , forms an important part of the sport of tho cadets, and Jlr. Jennings lias reproduced some of the form ho shoved in his Christ's College days. •Speaking of the encampment held at Waihmgari, he says:—"Wo marched out on Tuesday at 8.3(1, and afier a tramp of six miles we were set to chopping trees to supply bridging apparatus. We te!led tho trees at the top of the hill, sawed them off at the first fork, removed the bark, anrl then let them run down (lie hill to the rom\, where wagons gathered them and took them to the college. The hardest work of the lot was taking them down the hill. It took in some cases twenty of us with ropes all our (line fo accomplish the work. Our hands were blistered, but it has put us in splendid condition." Jlr. Jennings states that no one is allowed to leave the college except; on Saturdays, (lie weekly holiday, and Hip cadets are kept busy in camp. , "So far," ho says, "the camp has been mostly fatigue work. At present we are digging out a hillside ta make a miniature rifle range which will have about eight targets disappearing and moving. The camp is divided into streets by piles of whitewashed stones, but tlio place is vvry dusty aud hard to keep clean. Breakfast is at 7 a.m., morning tea at lfl.flO, lunch at 12.30, afternoon tea 4.30, lights out 5.15." Writing umhr date January ]C, Mr. Jennings slated that the camp had been swept by frightful dust storms in high temperatures. In the quartermaster's store tho temperature was once 111 de- I grees, but the Government instruments registered only slightly over 100 in the shade proper. The air was not so oppressive as in Chrislclnirch, despite the greater heal. "There have been huge bush fires all Hie week, and (ho place is thick with smoke. The sun goes down as red as anything. At night.you can see the glare, although (.he fires arc twenty miles olf and behind the hills. ' Prom (ho college itself, writing on February 8, Jlr. Jennings stated that the camp was broken up. owing to some minor ailments amongst t.he cadets, coupled with the fact that the river by the camp was stagnant ami dust storms prevalent. "Night signalling has been very difficult, because of the smoke from the fires, ivJijcli affected the light, but tactics and skirmishing have, boon greatly enjoyed. This week wo have been issued wifh rxw uniforms, including marching and mess boots. The new uniforms will Iks a great improvement on our present scrap lot, which nre Teally only senior cadet uniforms."