Masonry In Northern Natal.—The Boer War.

Masonry in Northern Natal . — The Boer War .

BY OXI-: WHO WAS THKRK .

LOOKING back on the events that have occurred since October 12 th last year , it is really extraordinary that those of us in South Africa did not foresee that war was inevitable . However , notwithstanding the wildest rumours that were Hying about , Masonry was making good progress .

Early in September R . W . Bro . Thomas Cook , the District Grand Master came up to Ladysmith to instal the lirst Worshipful Master of -the Ladysmith Lodge of M . M . M . Towards the end of September the District Grand Lodge of Natal held its usual half-yearly meeting at Ladysmith , and

the District Grand Master , R . W . Bro . Wesley Francis , laid the foundation-stone of a new Masonic Hall in that place in proper form .

Huo . CAPT . HKAKN . — ( Phuln . Ki-i-Ue . Ion-elI , Ti-uhji ) .

On Sunday , September 24 th , a sudden order was given that no officer or man was to leave camp . That night the Royal Dublin Fusiliers , the Leicester Regiment , and 60 th Rilles—the Royal Irish Fusiliers were sent up afterwardsentrained for an unknown destination , which turned out to

be Dundee . The 18 th Hussars and Brigade of Field Artillery marched the next morning—the greatest enthusiasm prevailed . Looking back to that Sunday , the writer recalls the remark of a well-known Colonial , a resident in Ladysmith , on being told that the troops were proceeding to Glencoc—Glencoe is the junction for Dundee— " God help you all ! " How greatly

he feared for our safety , after events clearly showed . Our arrival in Dundee was a great surprise to the Boers , and no doubt hastened on the war ; our appearance , too , disconcerted them , many of whom , remembering the hated roenek as being clad in scarlet , white helmet , & c , in 1880 to 1881 , did not

appreciate our change to khaki , and freely remarked that they thought we were not playing the game fair . On the following Sunday the Bishop of Xatal preached , all the available troops in camp being present , including that heroic

General , the late Sir W . Penn Symons ; at intervals during the service could be heard the grindstones of the Hussars as their swords were being sharpened . Nothing of importance took place until the nth October , when news of the Ultimatum was received . In the meantime , General

Sir George White , V . C ., G . C . B ., with Bro . Sir Archibald Hunter , had arrived in Ladysmith with the rest of the Head-Quarter Staff . Sir George White immediately saw that the Military Camp at Ladysmith was untenable , and ordered all stores , & c , to be immediately removed into the town .

Thursday , October 19 th , was the regular meeting night of Biggarsberg Lodge of Unity , No . 208 4 , located at Dundee . The meeting was not held , however , owing to the proximity of the enemy . At 5 . 20 the next morning the Boers began to shell the Camp . I do not purpose describing the

battle , which abler pens than mine have done , lo the inhabitants of Dundee it must have been a grand sight—no liner battle scene had ever been put on the stage—but the writer will never forget the way the towns-people cheered as the troops marched through the town on their way back to Camp after the battle . There is no doubt that the Boers had

received a great check , and but for the unfortunate mistake of the officer commanding the Royal Artillery , in not allowing his artillery to shell the Boers as they retreated , very few of General Lucas Meyer ' s Commando would ever have faced us again . That night we sat down to mess as usual , and but for

the fact that one had to deplore the loss of a messmate , there was nothing in what had taken place that did not remind one of a Field-day at Aklershot .

During the night General Joubert arrived with his Commando and seized Imparti Mountain , which not only commanded the Town and Camp , but from which the water supply of Dundee was provided . The Camp was therefore ordered to be evacuated . Now one of those ludicrous events occurred , so peculiar to the British

Army—although the Boers were in possession of the town reservoirs , and could cut the water , off whenever they liked , the Royal Engineers were actually laying pipes to where our new Camp was to be , when the Boers opened lire on us with their big gun at 5 o ' clock in the evening . The further we

retreated the longer the range of this gun , or guns , appeared to be . Tommy Atkins immediately nick-named this gun " Long Tom . " Our casualties that evening were a subaltern of the Leicester Mounted Infantry and a man killed . It poured with rain all night , and at 3 o ' clock the next morning

we were formed up for action , expecting to be shelled from all sides . A heavy mist , however , hung over the mountains , and before the mist had lifted two men of the Umvoti Rilles brought in a despatch announcing the victory of Elands

Til I" . JIAIX STHKKT , LA DY . S . MITII .