Letters from the Front.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 112, 23 February 1901, Page 3

Letters from the Front.

Farrier Duncan McTaggarfc, of the Fifth New Zealand Contingent, writing from Kimberley on January 22nd, says:---We arrived here from Fourteen Streams on the 13th. Stopping at Kimberley three days, we were ordered to proceed to Bosehkof, 35 miles from Kimberley, to take a convoy out there. The convoy consisted of 69 waggons, 7 traction engines and 21 lorries. We had 600 men as escort for the convoy. The first day out from Kimberley we saw no Boers, but they attacked patrols and Cossack posts. The Boers wounded one of the Dennison scouts and then cat his throat. The 15-pounder shelled them out of the kopjes commanding the road. Their loss was estimated at 17 killed and several wounded. Their graves were found on our return journey, just newly dug. The third day and the day the convoy arrived in Bosehkof 250 Boers attacked the convoy from the surrounding kopjes. The pom - poms and 15-potindors soon shifted them on to the veldt. This was our chance ’ to give them a volley, and several were killed at 1500 yards. Five of the Scottish Rifles and Imperial Yeomanry were wounded. One was shot through the chest and another through the hand. Two horses were killed and three wounded. That night ten of us wore k«pt back with the engine as ■ar guard five miles out from loschkof. As ws passed two :opjes, about 700 yards from the ■nad, the Boers opened tire and the vdleta were whizzing all round us. We dismounted and took cover under some anthills and gave them a few rounds, which soon made them retire from their kopjes and make off across the veldt like a lot of wild deer. We opened fire while they wore fleeing and dismounted two of thorn at 1500 yards. r l his was my best experience under fire, and it was not a pleasant sensation. We burnt nearly all the farmhouses we came across and took prisoners into Kimberley any Boers that were likely to take up arms. We leave here to-morrow for Smith’s Drift, 60 miles south of KimberKy, with stores for Lord Methuen's column. We expect to join his column in a few days when he arrives in Kimberley. lam enjoying good health, though we have been on some days fifteen hours without food, marching from 2 a.m. till 11 p.m. I don’t think we shall be home at the end of our twelve months.

I have seen Long Cecil, the big gun that was made in Kimberley during the siege. It is a wonderful piece of w r ork, and is said to throw a 1001 b shell seven mUtg- One of the Yeomanry who us in Boscbkof was captured by the Boers. He was with them a whole day. They gave him nothing to eat and stripped him of everything his trousers, hat and boots. ®Smey killed two sheep and cut them in pieces while the flesh was quivering. They threw the pieces into the fire, and in about five minutes the whole lot was eaten. They,, live like savages. Some of these Boers said they had been on the veldt for fourteen months, and hpd not slept in house or tent all U that time. The Yeomanry chap escaped w T hen it got dark- He took the opportunity While the Boers were psalm-singing, bolted into the bush and made for our camp.