THE SOUDAN.

Manawatu Standard, Volume X, Issue 75, 27 August 1885, Page 4

THE SOUDAN.

THE N.S.W. CONTINGENT.

UNPLEASANT REMINISCENCES.

INCOMPETENT OFFICERS,

We are not likely soon to forget the 17th May last, for on that day we commenced our homeward journey. Several days before, the men had been m a fever of excitement. All sorts of rumours were afloat, but on Friday the 15th, we got orders to have all valises, squad bags, etc., packed, and be ready for embarkation at any moment. On Saturday after we " struck tents," and from 4 o'clock on Sunday morning all hahds were busily engaged m clearing j up the camp. This havipg been effected j we " fell m" at 7 o'clock, and headed by the Contingent Brass Band we marched towards the Arab — the good old ship that was to take us back to Australia. As we passed through the English camp, thousands of men cheered us lnstily — the cheering lasting almost till we reached the wharf. The heat of the sun was intense, and many of the men on reaching their distillation fell down under the cflecta of sunstroke or fatigue. We were immediately marched on board, and having divested ourselves of our accoutremenfcs, etc., were set to work loading the vessel, which took us all day. It was the hardest day's [work we had yet had. Heavy cases of provisions, ammunition, &c, had to be carried aboard and stowed away m the hold, and many of the men had nothing to eat since 5 o'clock on the previous afternoon. About 4 p.m., some tinned meat and biscuits were served out and I need scarcely say they were eagerly devoured. The scene was one of the utmost confusion — officers growling and men swearing (only m an undertone) at the officers, ;and during the day we looked, I must confess, more like rioters or rowdies quarreling amongst ourselves than a body of trained men, under military discipline. The minds of the men were not cased either by what they saw that day. It had often been said that the stores — the provisions that the generous Sydney public sent for our use^-were lying about the wharves and m Suakiin, at the mercy of the Greeks and other s, who stole them and then came into camp and sold us our own goods ; but now we had proof of it — had been going to waste, while "we often went to bed hungry and thirsty, owing to the mismanagement of those who were highly paid to 6ee to our ! wants. Well, we left the Suakim wharf about 7 o'clock, and gotout into the stream; and next morning,the 18th, about 3 o l clock, ,we steamed out of Suakim harbor and steered towards Aden, on our way home. We arrived at Aden at 8 p.m. on the 20th, and started coaling at daybread on the 21st. I have stated several times m my communications that a very bad feeling existed betweon officers and men. Many private and non commissioned officers were men of intelligence, learning and breeding — m many cases above those of the officers commanding them, many also had been m the Imperial army, and they knew how thoroughly incompetent were our officers — not one half of them knowing as much of drill as an ordinary volunteer-sergeant. This might and would have been overlooked ; but when the officers made use of their positions, and of the power the laws gave them, to tyrannize over men who wcro temporarily placed under them, and when, added to all this, the officers (with a few exceptions) never' looked after their men's comfort — content if they themselves had every luxury they could wish for,— and when moreover, threats of the guardroom, of imprisonment, &c, were continually hurled at men's heads for the slightest mistakes, — then one cannot wonder that men — Australian men — should murmur at such treatment. The feeling that had arisen, and that was growing intensity daily, reached its climax at Aden, when the men, almost i driven to desperation by the treatment they had received, and still further goaded on by a week's starvatioa (for since we left Suakim our daily allowance was about equal to that of a criminal m one of our gaols)

OPENLY MUTINIED.

This conduct was soon stopped, for many amongst us, .though feeling quite as strongly as those who acted as stated above, strongly objected to anything m the shape of a mutiny. Hence the firmness of , the officers, and the non-coms., 1 and the more intelligent of the men put j a sudden stop to what might have proved a more serious matter. The facts simply stated are these. Some men had gone (by permission they say) into the water j to bathe. A certain officer — noted for j his tyranny — ordered them out at ©nee, and then placet! them under arrest, and .had them taken to the guard-room. Thereupon about a hundred of those i standing around hooted and hissed and groaned at the officer m question. A couple ,of minutes afterwards the " gene- ' ral assembly " was sounded, — all hands bad to "fall m," — otßcers ran to and fro with the '' Queen's regulations," " Mutiny Act," and other formidable documents, and finally Colonel We'ls addressed the members of each company on the enormity of the crime some of the men had been guilty of, and stating that tne Commandant, who was ■too deeply affected to address them himself, hoped that such an ebullition of a feeling would not occur again. The men were quiet while the Colonel spoke, but groans came from the companies when he had finished. But, to their credit be it said, the majority literally " sat upon " the hooting minority, and the matter re solved itself into private denunciations, &c, against the officers, and vows on the part of the men as to what tnoy would and wouldn't do when they reached Sydney. ' The remainder of the voyage was monotonous. "We arrived at Colombo at .11.30. a.m. on the 29th May ; took m coal, arid left again at 3 p.m. on the 80th. During our stay here many were allowed to go ashore, but so many broke their leiive that the defaulters' list was a very long one, and the drill-sergeant (Sergeant Sadler) had his hands full for a couple of weeks putting them through their punishment drill for four hours daily. Several attempts were made to get up concerts on board, but they were failures, owing to the ill-feeling existing between the men and their officers. The members of the crew, however, gave a very successful negro entertainment — consisting of chair business, songs and dances and a farce. Most of the jokes were, of course, old, but some local ones were well received. On the 12th instant we arrived at Albany, and having received instruc tions from Sydney we started on our way home again at 8 o'clock next morning. Crossing the Australian Bight we experienced some very rough weather — the roughest we have yet encountered. It rained heavily, blew very hard ; it was bitterly cold, and altogether we spent several most miserable days. On the 17th instant, at 11 p.m., we passed Cape j Otway and the following morning we passed quite close to Cape "Wilson. From this point we had beautiful weather. As your readers know, we entered Sydney Heads at 11 p.m., on the 19th instant ; and great was the indignation of the men when they beard that they had to remain m quarantine for thrco days. However, we made tlio best of it. Most of its were quartered m the little cottages nsbore, and made ourselves as comfortable as the bud arrangements would allow. — (By | one of them m a Sydney paper.) !