The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1882-03-07 00:00:00

LANDING Or THIL TROOPS.

Thursday morning was bright and dry, but the wind
x'ill blew very rough. The Como° lore steam tug
at,rted about half pent .10, to be alongside the
Crocodile about seven, and make the arrangements
for landing the troop,. A large number of persona,
including some of the principal officials, geth,red on
the Cember. pier. and among thew we espied Kr.
Ratcliffe, of Fortune'. \Veil, who h ocl had some rails
(alma down et the inner or leo' aide of the Camber, so
that the men might walk from the paddlebox ashore.
About eight o'clock tire Commodore put if from
the silo of the Crocodile, and she was evidently
well crammed with red uniform° I figurea in white
helmets, a very short time autficed to m.ke the
paumge, and she UMW to the Matte of the oter limb of
. the Camber, necessitating impatient men to climb over
the rails; but emue officers were quickly user oi/slight
ohetruoii..u, and on the pier. I.Ju b.,ar I thero were
about 170, .4 whom 40 were women and chil ken, the
babies t elm wrapped up in the on est bundler you
could fan y, for the chid blew exceedingly coil. It
was clear that it would be to awkward to have all
them, women and childien over the rails, sod Captalu
Coserp, who was on the paddlebox of his steamer,
soon had a gangway rigged, that they might walk from
the deck of the Commodore to the stairs. Even then
the motion of the water wax such that the gallant
captain, ever on the look out for hii pamiengera' o en.
fort, personedy directed the ladies and bed them led,
and the children carried, soroes the lively gangway, by
hie men. Putting their rifiee into their left hand. to
hold the rope with their right, the soldiers were
quickly scrota, and many a scene of welcome was
enacted, the friends having come down in numbers
to bid their gallant eobisore good speed to
England. Colonel Smythe was at the heal. For
some time a largo proportion of the men wore
engaged in l
adingtheir wives and families to places
of safety, or etowing them in cabs and carriages; here
you might see a tall pioneer leading a little girl of six
well wrapped, ant followed by the wife and a string of
children ot different heithts, here the young furls had
evidently studied how to pro Luce an impression iii
England, some entirely dressed in bright colours, and
with auburn ringlets to long and grace ul be covered
by bonnet or hat The fair ladies Ii el evidently been
touched with freckles by the Indian sun, awl theii father.
were burnt to a deeper dye. They feel the cold wind
severely. and some a•ixioue for a double up and doyen
the pier" to warm their toes. At length they formed
tors, and healed by Col tel Smyth, marched on the
lan I. lime were cabs crammed full with white
helmeted men and their women and children, there
was a waggon. tte full 11 marry soldiers, Dlr. lie Meee
carts an.l horses formed a line at the side,
awl as the me, in arched along they noted the
stone r.ile ay, the hotels awl th • piles of stone at
C oclo Tony in .rehe op the ..fastlearoad, through
the peopl • to. nine my to sae themn
awl so, the gu ram or the 11th were relieved by tile
slvanc • gu aro of the 39.1,. h tit past nine, the
main let ly, with ban I. w re sehore, awl after Nerds
marched up. The detwebinent .1 the 14th it gimebt
nobs opt. ntly marchril tit, five officers and 150 men
et, .g. and took the 11.15 t.l Aldershot. The
leave, te-night. The weather was beauti-
folly tine.