LOSS OF A CONVOY.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume II, Issue 144, 12 May 1900, Page 3

LOSS OF A CONVOY.

-The following is the only account wo 'have seen of tbo loss of 'a ' Bxiti^U coavoy, -beyond toere mention of tHe fact in cables. It is from a ' lettfer -home*by a Wellington trooper "of No. 1 contingent. 'He and eight other New, Zeai&udfcrs we're Vith the Convoy :— '* We left Orange Riv^r for Grrassptin. two. da;js after the contingent had left, taking under convoy provisions enough for io'6,ood naen" for* ten- days. 'After travelling two days and nights, we were attacked by the L'oers in' great force, and as we had no artillery 'with us, they! just mado skittles' with our ; mules I ' and 'bullocks. We "were in a horseshoe formation of kopjes, which the enemy lined. Host of our trbdps had got^o on to camp about twenty miles auwyyand there were only about 200 of us left with the waggons. Anyhow, we managed to koep up our end until woid came from Lord .Roberts' to come on with as many waggsns as we" could. Thib we 'did,* but'only got six *w.i#gons out of the lot, and wore glad to' get away with oui> skins. We lost ' twenty 'mtin and all the convoy, and this is tne reason of our starvation."