HOW THE COLONIAL FORCES ARE TREATED.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IV, Issue 188, 12 August 1869, Page 3

HOW THE COLONIAL FORCES ARE TREATED.

The Tauranga Correspondent of the Southern Cross says: — Some of the Armed Constabulary here give a pitiful account' of. the rationing of the forces at the front. They are supposed to" receive a pound, of buscuits and a pound, of meat per diem per man ; but somehow or other, when the distribution takes place each man gets only three or four biscuits, and perhaps a single chop — half a pound or so— for his day's allowance. This distribution is made in the evening, at which time mauy of the men are ravenously hungry, and consume their scanty fare in one meal, thereby having to remain ■without food till the following evening 1 . An instance is told of a man actually parting with his great coat, while trembling with cold, for a small potato cake the size of his hand. - The cold' which prevails in that part of the country is described as instense, and most of theinen have only one blanket, some have none, and only a few have greatcoats, for the reason J that on forced marches they are required to carcy so many days* rations in addition to their arms and accoutrements, that they could not support the weight of extra covering. ' Anyone acquainted with tent life during winter in New Zealand can imagine the discomfort and suffering of our troops at the Front. They say that they were promised when actual fighting was over, that they were to be put into comfortable winter quarters ; but on the contrary, they have been set to work at road-making. An Old Wipe's Notion of a Velocipede. — A matron in Bonnybank was stunned and stupefied the other day on seeing a gentleman who had. been practising with a velocipede, and who was approaching her dwelling on foot, leading it tip the incline. " Preserve a' living, sirse —come 'ere," she cried to a neighbor. **. Did ye ever see a thing like this." Both looked intensely fora while, and the other said—." Toots, woman, did ye never see a thing like that? It's just a maun gauh about wi' a thing for sharpin' razars." Hearing this the matron ran to the house to look for her scissors, crying at the sarne time to her son — " Jim, rin obt and tell that man to stop, for I want my sheers sbarpit;" Jim did as,; commanded, but "after looking, a short time, said — "Mither, that's no a>sheer man aya; , I think it's only Teyler Tamson try in' to row twa girds!" But the gentleman, who was now *' stridelegs" over the fleet- horse, was off like .an arrow. ,'V'Hfech! ■ What'll you wager" quoth tha matron, as he vanished from vie w^ " but that's ane o' the newfashioned whurly gigs the newspapers ca' philosophers!" — Dundee Advertiser. . ,i