War Items.

Manawatu Herald, 13 February 1900, Page 2

War Items.

There landed at Cape Town on 11th December a Reservist belonging to the Seaforth Highlanders, who was absent when called up. He hod been in France, and only arrived in England 24 hours after the troopship which brought out his regiment started. He therefore proceeded to Southampton, paid his passage to Cape Town, and came on to the j front at his own expense.

The coloured leper patients on Robben Island have raised a sub* scription for the Wounded Soldiers' Fund. A similar contribution was made by all the Malay congregations in Cape.

The Patriotic Fund raised by the Lord Mayor of London is Hipplic- ■ able to soldiers, sailors, embodied militia, colonial troops, and in fact to all who are serving her Majesty in the war.

The American hospital ship, Ike " Maine/ has five wardfe, named iJbfi "Columbia," "Britannia^M^W<«law Reid," " Bake*," ana *** Com* mittee."

The London Times of 15th December reported that her Majeg^'^ships Robin and Nightingale, shallow draught steamers /for river serviocv, are to be prepared at Chatham for service in South Africa.- Men are to be employed on overtime to get the vessels ready as quickly as possible. These gunboats are 100 ft long with „ a beam of 24ft, and the mean draught is 10 inches. They register 85 tarn, and the engines at natural draught have an indicated horsepower of 240, giving a speed of nine knots. They are designed to carry two 8 pounder quick-firing gnns and four 45in Maxims. .

As far as Tee have seen the garrison at Ladysmith has only been credited with the captaxe of one big gun of the Boers. It is now certain that on December Bth General Hunter With 500 Natal Volunteers and 100 Imperial Light Horse-. made a night attack on Gnu Hill, which they captured and a 6 inch gun and a 4.7 in howitzer were destroyed. On the 10th December LieutenantColonel Metealfe with 500 meit.oS the Bifle Brigade made a sortie^ night to Surprise Bill and destroyed the 4.7 in howitzer mounted there.