Letter from the Front.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 206, 6 September 1901, Page 3

Letter from the Front.

A i kikno in Gisborne lias received the

following letter from Trooper .I'. 1 >i-1 >:tutour, umler date Bloemfontein, July JO We have been having a great time out hero, although we had to put up with a . good many hardships one way and another, hut'a few tintters with the Joey’s (as we etill the Boevs) make up for it. i We have covered a lot of country in our short time here, our old (leneral L'luninier is a terror to travel. Our trek from Pretoria to Pietersburg and back via Oliphant’s liiver was a tough one although we met with very little opposition from the enemy. We lost over bOO of our New Zealand horses on this trek, owing to long marches and terrible thorny bush country to travel in. Some days we were 18 to '-’0 hours in the saddle. As soon as we arrived back in Pretoria wo were sent on trek to Standerton, it was on this trek that wo met real opposition, it took ns l'J days to roach there. The big guns were going the whole time from daylight till dark. The Joey's in that locality are the cheekiest in South Africa. They always made a point of tackling the rear guard first, and then when they see they have their match they tly round to the wings and advance. Patrolling is the only risky game here, especially as they arc sent out with so few men. A favorite number sent out is a section and a Non-Commissioner. It was at this game that we lost poor ilurrey. A party of four of us were sent out about four'milos away from the Column to examine a suspicions farmhouse. We had no sooner got out to the farmhouse than wo could see our danger, and of course we had to retire and I can assure you we had a warm time: no cover of any description was to be had. so all wo could do was to gallop a few hundred yards, dis- I mount, and then give Mr Joey a volley 1 which successfully turned him back while j wo mounted again and oil. It was in this j wav that wo successfully held our own ; for' about three miles, and then wc j managed to get a fairly good covering, whielfwe held with ease against Jb Joeys until reinforcements arrived. It was while wc wore in this spot that Ilurrey was hit. Not caring about lying down to five he 1 got up on his knee. lie had no sooner ; done so than a bullet struck him in the j knee, and gliding off went through his lungs and out of his back. It seemed terrible hard luck, after holding our own for so long, to lose him when we were practically safe. Wc managed to get our revenge bv blowing the lights out- of three c { the'enemy, and'we hoped there were more, as wc' saw a good many riderless horses disappearing. We have had wonderful luck so far as regards loss of life : we have only lost three, which, considering the hole's we have been in. is marvellous. After we left Standerton we travelled to Piet llietiej. a small place which wc wrecked in a very short time, and then proceeded on to Utrecht. We were alwavs making night marcues on this trek : t'hev are enough to make a chap burst out crying. We always managed to surprise the enemy, which meant captures of waggons, cattle', prisoners, etc., but still at the same time we would sooner have our little nap. After we got fresh supplies at Utrecht wo marched to Carolina, which we reached without much excitement We then moved out to Wonderfontein oO miles out from Middlebuvg. W e tool train there, and have been dumped dowr here, and are just waiting orders to movi out again. This is a dandy little town points ahead of Pretoria.