WAR ITEMS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXII, Issue 90, 17 April 1900, Page 4

WAR ITEMS.

who think that the war will be ended, or that the present state of affairs is the beginning of a short end, do not view matters in the same light as Lord Kitchener, A resident' of Melbourne received a private letter from Lord Kitchener a short while since, and in it he stated that he expected it would be fully two years before everything was quiet, and even then affairs would be unsettled for some time. This explains our Fifth Contingent being despatched to Rhodesia to serve as military police. Bir T, N. Fitzgerald, who has just gone to South Africa with the Bushmen's Contingent, is well known as the most eminent surgeon Victoria has ever had.

" Dunedin an easy first." The unbiased opinion of a well-known military authority who has been present at all the Contingent send-offs in this colony. | E, L. Ileenan, of the First Contingent in a letter to Mr. J. 1). Heenan, Pyramid, Southland, says: 1 fcSonio of the Boer girls are linelooking ; mostly fair. I think they must be a very amorous race, as in every house we search we find dozens of love letters from different girls to I the one young man, and from two or three young men to the one girl. Some j are the funniest letters you could read. At one house we got papers that are of great value in times of peace-■■ cheques; but they are of no value now. We also found other papers. It is very good sport to go out patioiling now, as at every farmhouse the figs and 5 peaches are just ripe." Mr. Ernest Maginnity, formerly of Wellington, and Mr. S. Richardson, a . brother of Mis. E. C. Reynolds, are j serving with Brabant's Light Horse at the front. A frequent and amusing sight at Modder River is that of Mr. Atkins zealously soaping his khaki uniform all over, and then diving into the river with it. on in order to give it a good wash. Some trouble is saved by this process, but the time and temper expended in waiting for the clothes te dry somewhat detract from its value. In future a water drill brigade, with steam drills, organised under the superintendent of the Cape Government drills, will move with the troops and put down waterholes, so as to provide water where otherwise it would be unobtainable. The report that ex-Sergeant-major Greener, the deserter from the Royal Engineers, who was captured in the enemy's trenches at Mngersfontein, had been shot is apparently incorrect. A Scotland Yard detective has been sent to the (Jape armed with a warrant for his arrest for embezzlement. With regard to his arrest, a letter which has been received in England from a 9th Lancer, who took part in the battle of Magersfontein, tells how the prisoner ■ came to be identified. It appears that after the battle, when the prisoners were brought in, they were lodged against the tool waggon belonging to the ballon section of the Royal Engineers, and here the ex-sergeant-major was seen and at once recognised by some of his former comrades. Concerning Major Childe, who was killed in action whilo in command of the South African Light Horse, news is to hand that the gallant officer had just stormed a kopje at the head of his men when the Boers commenced shelling, and he was the (ir.st to fall. Major Childe had a peculiarly strong-presentiment that he was going to be killed, and had asked his brother officers before the engagement to put the following words over his grave "Is it well with the child ( It is well" (2nd Kings iv., '2(>). This has already been done. Major Childe, who was formerly known as Childe-.femberton, was forty-six years old, and until some years ago was an officer in the " Blues." Ho was a thorough sportsman, and owned at one time both flat-racers and steeplechasers in England. Shanghai has subscribed the handsome sum of £B,OOO to the War Relief Fund.

Major-general Wauchope'.s charger, Lady Mayoress, from which he was shot at the battle of Mageisfontein, haw been taken back to Kng'and in the transport Montfort. The deceased general expressed a dying wish that this should be done, and his faithful mail, Jobson, carried out the instructions most. satisfactorily, the beautiful mare having arrived in perfect condition. To the Peninsular War we sent, 30,000 troops; Egyptian campaign, .'10,000; Crimea, 20,0(10; Waterloo, 24,000; Jjlenheim, I (>,000; and Afghanistan, 1.'i,000, To the Transvaal 2.']0,000 troops are being sent.