The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-03-01 00:00:00

EMBARKATION OF THE 17T11 LANCERS.

The Daily linws of fuesday says :—" The commotion in
the vicinity of the Victoria Docks, which has been increasing
daily, reached the culminating point yesterday, when the
erect regiment of 'Death or glory ' Lancers embarked on
hoard the steamship France for service in Zululand. Out-
side the dock gates there was little to see, and all the
entrances to the docks were jealously guarded by police, but
Immense crowds assembled and clamoured for admission,
which a few thousands succeeded in obtaining, on one ex'
cuss or another, only to find the hope of rescuing the ship
utterly vain.. . . Very few visitors succeeded in getting
on board, and among these was the wife of Major Butler,
Deputy Assistant Quartermaster-General of tha Army—a
lady better known as Miss Thompson, painter of The aoll
Call,' who was engard in sketching the scene. The men
and horses were conveyed in two trains from Hounslow
right in,o the docks, where a temporary platform had
been erected, with a brow leading do4ii through a
couple of sheds to the quay where the ship lay. Their
horses were carried in cattle trucks, six or seven together,
and suffered no Jujuy, but most of the officers took the
precaution of sending their chargers by road. The sling-
ing on board ship was • accomplished as in* previous
embarkations; but, in addition to the hydraulic crane,
one of the ship's steam derricks was brought into requi-
sition, and the horses were lifted on board, fore and aft
at the same time. They were 272 in number, including 32
belonging to the officers. The Duke of Teck and the
French military and naval attaches were also on board
during the morning, and remained a considerable time
witnessing the shipment of the horses, some of which were
rather more obstreperous than might have been expected
of them' seeing that they have gone twice previously
through the same process in passing to and from Ireland."

A special failure at the sailing of the France and the por-
tion of the 17th Lancers whir!h she carri.te to Natal was the
presence of the band of the 18h Hussars, from Woolwich.,
The band and nearly all the officers of the same regi-
ment were on board the Lotus, a river steamer, and the;
patriotic, music seemed to kindle additional enthu-
siasm, both among the outward-bound troops on board
and the crowd on the wharves. •A local band, com-
posed of men employed in the coal derricks, was also,
afloat in a steam tug, and went pert of the way with the
ship, the Lotus accompanying until she reached Gravesend.
It was three o'clock before the France got out of the docks,
and just as she began to move through the gates, to the
stratus of the :National Anthem, it happened by a sin-
ghlar coincidence that the sun, which had been con-
cealed all thy, burst with a glow through ,the clouds,
the snow and the east wind ceased, and the scene
became one of the wildest excitement and animation
Guns fired salutes, the soldiers and the people cheered
with all their might, flags waved from ships and
housetops, and mutual farewells were signalled by flying
handkerchiefa between the vessel and those she left behind.
Paseing the Warspite and the other training ship-, the greet-
ings accorded to the preceding shins were shouted to the
Lancers by the sailor boys, and, the ship being expected,
crowds of people assembled at Woolwich, Erith, and other
places to see her pass and send esiting cheer." •

A discussion has been waged as to whether the weapons
from which the Lancers take their name are or are not
serviceable in the bush, but this appears to be practically
settled by a passage quoted from a letter received from
Pietermaritzburg. "All the officers," a correspondent
writes, quoting a letter to hand just received, "are having
their swords sharpened at the ironworks here, and Colonel
Durnford has had a lance made on account of his arm having
been injured in the last Langallbalele Rebellion." "Now,"
the writer continues, "if Colonel Durnford (who, alas 1
with his son, was killed in the late battle) not only
considered the lance a suitable weapon, but even had one
made for his special use, I think this is conclusive evidence
that the lance, if not the best weapon, will, at all events,
not be 'iii the way." Whatever may be said or thought
about lances, however, there can be no doubt that revolvers
are a most necessary article of equipment, and it is satis-
factory to find that these have been provided for the
Lancers, as well as carbines. For close quarters in the
bush a revolver is indispensable, and the men are delighted
with their new acquisitions. The confluence inspired in
the troops by these convenient weapons is remarkable, for
the men feel that oee revolver is a match form any assegais.
—Evening Standard.

"The War Office has had no end of letters on the subject
of the use of the balloon in modern warfare. Had a con-
tingent of sccomplished aeronauts accompanied our advance
in Kaffirland, might not the great catastrophe to some
extent have been avoided ?" Pictorial World.

It 11 slated that the follooiag telegram bga been sent
from General Ponsonby to Colonel Stanley, Wer Oft Lie
"The Queen wishes }on to telegraph to Lmd Citeinisford
that she sympathises most sincerely with Mario the dread-
ful li,ss which has di priyed her (if so many gallant fiLiers
and men, and that her M.ijiAsty places entire cunlideuce in
him aid in her troops to maintain our honour and our good
name."

Orders have been sent by the Portuguese Government to
the Governor General in Mozambique, in consequence of th
events in Zululand, to despatch troops and three corvettes to
Delagoa Bay. •
Ala
In an article suggested by the ZULU victory, the Pays (Paris
. paper) looks upon savage races of men as people to be feared
more and more every day. For what is the art of war, it says,
' In the present day but a series of surprises and ambuscades?
To keep well under cover, to take advantage of every bit if
shelter the grouocl can afford, and to shoot the enemy
at immense distances, such are the main features of
modern warfare. And in all of these, continues the Pays, the
savage is a match for the csilised man.. Commerce sop-
plies them with the most accurate rifles. with the latest
improvements for rapid firing, and in other respects they
are superior to the best European troops. Accustomed to
.out-door exercises, and to dangers of all kinds, they do not
suffer from fatigue. They have the cunning developed by
the chase, a sort of instinct against being caught in a trap,
and excellent eyes to discern and to aim projectiles at a
distant enemy.