ON BOARD THE TROOPSHIP IBERIA.

Kumara Times, Issue 2665, 6 April 1885, Page 3

ON BOARD THE TROOPSHIP IBERIA.

♦ The following is a telegram per special correspondent of the Sydney Morning Herald who is with the Australian contingent: Aden, March 26. Wo have accomplished the greater portion of our voyage, having arrived at Aden to-day about noon. The passage has been a most enjoyable one. We are all in good health and spirits. During the voyage, the troops have been daily exercised and strict discipline has been observed, the consequence being that the men have become far more soldierly in their habits and appearance. The military spirit among the men appears to increase daily and our arrival at Aden was looked forward to with much anxiety, as there we hoped to receive news of the progress of events at the seat of war. The weather has been very warm, but not as bad as we had been led to anticipate it would be. The Commissariat Department has given thorough satisfaction, the men expressing themselves much pleased with the good quality of the fare they received. The present of fruit wo received from the South Australian people proved most acceptable; it was both plentiful and good, and lasted us well into the voyage. Sleeping accommodation was not perhaps as one might have desired, but it was fairly good, and no grave complaint can be urged against it. Whilst, as I have stated, discipline on board has upon the whole been very good, there have been some petty cases of misconduct dealt with, one court martial having been held since we left Sydney. A couple of accidents have occurred on board. Sergt. P. Dransfield, of the A company has broken one of his ankles, and Private Paring, one day whilst the vessel was wearing, by an accident received an injury to his spine. Both men are invalided. During the voyage Surgeon-Major Williams and Surgeon Proudfoot have been busily engaged in instructing ambulance corps in its duties and a number of very instructive lectures have been delivered with regard to medical and surgical matters. The officers in command of the signaling o o corps have been also busily engaged instructing the men in their duties, and classes have been formed for that purpose. Revolver and sword drill have formed part of the daily round of duty, and the infantry have been drilled on deck each day the weather permitted, though of course such drill in a limited space is necessarily very incomplete. Valises and kits have been the cause of much trouble.