OUR LADS IN SAMOA.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 132, 28 October 1914, Page 5

OUR LADS IN SAMOA.

INCIDENTS OF THE OCCUPATION. WORK FAIRLY ARDUOUS. By Telegraph.—Per Press Association. Auckland Last Night. Letters from members of the garrison .force in Samoa were delivered in Auckland to-day, havinq been despatched tiont Apia vi u l'ago Pago to Sydney and lorwarded by the si earner Rivcrina.

Apparon/.fly nit incident has occurred to disturb the nnnotonv of the garrison duty since th t . visit of the German cruisers 'on September It. Manv of the letters contain reference to" the dcsnvi of the men to join the main expeditionary force and report rumours of arrangement,, which h.-.ve been made to enable them to volii'Veer.

Writing on October 5 a member ei the force, states that much interest ventalcen in tin- arrival of the Kronesteamer St. Francis, which reached' Apia en Sencmhir 2i). Tim steamer was lv:ns nt Papoose wlico 111.-, town was bom bardeil .and she reached tie;. Stmorin har-'■-<m: v.-'fh a lis', io port and a ho'- : "i '■■■■]■ I'lime 1. the rc-mlt .if s-omc of the

-he!- fired by tli.. <.Vni,aa .miser,. A camp eaiitecii lias new !,:■;n rt'artc.!. v. !i. iv it i« possible to secure "sof.." dr'nks ;itn| tobacco .at nvomiblo prices. '.I .lie troops linvc been supplied with white suite. Tin.' u-,iri! camp routine continues—reveille at .":) a.m.; dressing by light of tlie moon, wlipn there is one: fall in at J, a.m. for drill .till 0.30 a.m. varied twice a .week l>y a route march of -five miles or "o; breakfast at 7 a.m., and then the usual camp duties, guards, pickets, patrol, with bathing parade for Ihose who can manage it. Dinner at 12 p.m. is followed by more bathing, washing of cothes, o>., and lately leav■• i.o town from 2 p..m. to 4 p.m., and drill from 4.30 p.m. to fi.HO p.m. Leny is i'rant"d from 4 p.m. to (i p.m., and, later for those of s-ppr-'il'v goo! conduct, tea is at. <1 'i.m.. and lights'outsat 9 p.m. Another member of the force, writing under date October (1 from the wire'•■«■<. stetion. Samoa, states: "Once we arc insfallNl in the new hnrrieks I wo-il;, m.vn.l how long we are kept here. ft is no" wit nlea»ant sleeping in tents, as everything get* \erv damp at nighl',. and we wake up to find ants, niosquitos and all kirels of insects crawling over in There has been plenty of rain lately, am! it comes down in torren'fi. Tim enmn .r Apia was flooded 'out the other ni."h'.. •••amonn «tamps are now unoVaW''.'. Pome of the s"ts„ of a fa„cf- value of 11-. have been sold for as "much an £?-">. wish T had known of t.ha'. sno"er as 1 night have been a life, to n-.-ikp m-v' moncT. Some of the tei'vc «aw n P--man 'lryjn« to cut off n Native woman's hair, po the" trot, hold of him and gar- 1 him a. ?ood thrashing."

An officer, v/riilimr on October 7. state---that the rainv season was in progress, hut the officers were now jp comfortabV flimrtcrs, consisting of well ventilated bouses. A nroiect was afooi' fo -print a. i-av't lK'Wennoer evev wr-ek to send to friends in Xp\y Zealand.