With the Second Contingent. LETTER FROM BUGLER GOLDSTONE.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume II, Issue 131, 10 April 1900, Page 3

With the Second Contingent. LETTER FROM BUGLER GOLDSTONE.

We "have been permitted to ptiblish the following letter from Bugler Robert Goldsfcone who is the' second contingent. ' It gives a veryinteresiing account of life on board the Waiwera : — s.s. Waiwera, Feb. 2nd, .1900. "We arrived in Albany on Wednesday

evening, between five and six o'clock, I and anchored in the m'dJle of a very nice and well sheltered harbour. It reminded me very much of Lyttelton Harbour. The town itself looked very pretty. It is about the same size as "Waimate, only the shops are o£ a better style. The next morning half the company were ashore till 12 o'clock. I WG.it with them and we were taken oiJt by a steam launch. We were rather disappointed at the * mean - looking buildings, but soon turned our attentions to the shops. We bought fruit, soap. i handkerchiefs, sheath' knives, chocolate, jam, and biscuits, ,'a.nd the Lord knows what not. Some speculated in revolvers. We reckoned the contingent left about .£5OO in the. town altogether, an average of £2 a man. We had dinner on shore, and came aboard again full as ticks of nice things, and as happy as school boys. Tiie other half of the company went ashore in the afternoon. All who came back after 10 p.m. .were put in the guard room. We are now on our way again, and it will be three weeks before we see land again. While at Albany a team from the contingent shot a team from the local battery. Our fellows were beaten. Jack was in the team, and made third top score, 63 out of a possible of 80. The top score was Lieutenant Somerville. 69. One of our men, Sergeant Overtoil, put on 27, and yet they put him in bofore me. Never mind, I can beat them with the pistol. We will be living high now for a while with the things we bought In Albany. I have a lot of tomatoes and a bottle of vinegar. I caught half a dozen mackerel in the harbour to day and got the cook to cook them. Jnck and I and Bill Butcher- and Bill White had them for tea, I'm good cobbers with the cook, baker, and steward and cidge lots of delicacies that the officers have. We had a lot of lady visitors yesterday, and as they left, in the evening, I got the ship's cornet and played them off. I played " Farewell for Ever," " The Best of Fiiends Mus fc Part." and " Will He No Come Back Again." They held up their hats and looked quite sad, especially a minister ' who sat .in the stern. We saw a lot of blacks ashore. They are awful, looking sketches, and were begging money off us, I hired a bike for an hour and went round the town. Nothing grows only scrub, and the place is covered with a slatoy- coloured sand. It's a lonely, healthy and peaceful little placo is Albany. I took a sketch of the bay as we left. Feb. 10. We are now about halfway between Australia and Africa. We have had no rough weather yet, but meet an occasional shower of rain, the climate in this region is warm and sunny. Thor-a are any^amount of flying fish and sharks about. We are 60 miles out of our course, so as to avoid the weather for the horses' sake*. We lost two horses last week. The rest ,ire well, and the men likewise. We expect to catch up to the Maori King to-day. The Waiwera has bean sternaing at top since she left Albany, doing 18 knots sometimes. We expect to reach Durban on Tuesday week, the 22nd. I wonder how things are getting on at Ladysnuth. It's getting tame on board the boat, although we are being well looked after. Jack was on the sick H&t for a day with a cold, but is alright now. We had a'concert last night ; we have one every Saturday night. We drink tb.3 Queen's health and smoke cigarettes. The officers sing songs too high class for them, and the men sing " Soldiers of the Queen,'' " Tommy Atkins," and other patriotic and blood-thirsty songs and recitations. The officers are all popular, but some of the men who profess to have seen service under the Major are " no ckss." The non com.'s are pretty well liked, with the exception of the Kegimental Sergeant-Major Eastgate. He is universally hated. We have started rifle shooting. Throw a barrel or a roughly- made target overboard, and shoot at it till it disappears. The object is to make the men efficient in volley firing at retreating enemy. Some very good practice is made. I am enjoying the trip fine, and don't find it monotonous like some of the chaps. I sleep on deck at nights. The weather is so fine, and' the hold is so stuffy to sleep eight hours in. It came on to rain the other night, and we all got wet that slept on deck. You ought to have seen us scudding below in our night clothes. It was a case of " Take up thy bed and walk." Feb. 19. We expect io get into Durban tomorrow (Tuesday) afternoon, and , everything on board is upside down' through the packing up. We have j had a splendid trip, no roujh weather, * and the only thing we can complain , about is the heat. We have only lost ■ four horses, and have had little or no ■ illness among the 'men. "Wo had sports on Saturday, aad Wainmte - made a name" for itself straight off.

Bill BuccW won the egg and spoon lace and the potato race. He and I tied in the Utter, and be beat me in the run off. Canterbury won nearly everything, sack race, wheelbarvow race, and No. 2 company -won the tug of "war. I've got on better than I expected. The Maior took my horse away and gave me another, a bay mare about the &arne sipe as our own mare. She's the prettiest little horse ,in the troop. Chegwiu had her at the camp. Wo packed our kits to-day, and will have to sleep without blankets to-night. We bugleis started shn i pening our swords to day. That looki wailke doesn't it. We exp c 5 to lar»d at Durban, but may possibly have to go on to Capetown. It's a graat job packing up our stuff. Wo carry a terrible lot on the saddle, viz , a com plete change of underclothing and towel in the near saddle wallets, boot brushes, horse brush and comb, soft soap and sponge in oft wallet. On top of that is tied your overcoat, wrapped in waterproof sheet, and over the lot is tied your cape. The coat and cape? are rolled in a very cunning way, and take up very little space. We'll show the Waimate Bifles " how it is done " when we. get back. One blanket we keep in one kit bag with our other clothing, and the other we carry under the saddle. Well, I must finish up now. I hope to be able to write again soon, and also to heai often from old Wairaafce pals. I often think how things are getting on — shooting, tennis and school. I fancy I see the crowd up the Tmjaru lmd after church on Sunday night. I would like to get back for an hour or two. However, here v?e aye on the warpath, and as one of the contingent said, in responding to a toast at the smoke concert, <l We come looking for ' stouch,' and he hoped we'd get it." So far I'm quite content, and am not at all sorry I came ; neither is Jack or Bill Butcher or Tom Freeman. How is the band, I quite forgot them, I hope l they are getting on alright, and are keeping a place for me in circle, So goodbye again, and mind, " Don't forget to write."