A N.Z. Contingent's Letter.

Manawatu Herald, 11 January 1900, Page 2

A N.Z. Contingent's Letter.

» , r- „ An interesting letter from Mr Fred Rockstrow, who is with the First N.Z. Contingent m South Africa, has been placed at the disposal of the Daily Times. The letter is dated from Naauwpoort December a. The writer i mentions that both men and hors*e<|! have been greatly praised, and that/ Major-General French had said the New Zealanders were the best lot of volunteers he had ever seen. "We have some of the most celebrated of British regiments here — iath Lancers, Inniskillings, Gordon Highlanders, Black Watch, Welsh Borderers, some of the N.S.W. Lancers, Devon and Suffolk Regiments, and four batteries j of Royal Horse Artillery What a country for insects this is ! j They are all sizes and colours. The j ostriches are fine. The country all! the way from the Cape here is hilly, and then sandy plain, known as " The Great Karoo." We have several men ill with blood heat. Each man gets ilb of meat, lib of bread or biscuits per day. We have 57 mules and 20 oxen attached to us, and 23 black boys with cars and waggons. Most likely we will be attached to the Royal j Artillery, which will be a great honor. | One of the Duke of Teck's sons is an officer close to us, and all these men come over and talk to us. They all seem interested in us and our country, j We are not allowed to driqk spirits or | beer of any kind, and it is better so. j We have a lot of prisoners here, and they are a poor lot mostly. They are ' all well looked after, and get plenty of| T

food. The Boers fired several shots close to here yesterday, but did nc damage. I hope we will all come oui right, but it is terrible to see the trains full of wounded men. The Boers have been firing on the Red Cross, and several times have killed wounded met in tbe ambulance waggons. In one fight tbe other day a man was seen tc bayonet three Boers, and as he made for the fourth the man shot him, and they were both found dead, and the bayonet was found in the Boer with the end of the rifle clean through him. The Boers shot a general when they were flying a flag of truce." Corporal Rockstrow mentions that he had charge of the rations and fodder on No. 2 train on the up journey, and had a busy time.