Captain Dove, of New An South Wales, who has re- Australian's turned with the reputation Views. of being "a most wonderful scout,"! has something to say about this mater. Wo know now that Mr Bryn Roberts mada a mistake, and charged Australians with a breach of disci pline which he subsequently admitted had been committed by South Africans. Captain Dove explains that many of the men in Bra bant's Horse had enrolled for a year, and the time of their engagement having expired, they asked for their discharges. "On that day the Australians had gone some twelve miles to take up a position, and it was hoped that we would come up with De Wet in the course of two or three days. But, ow ing to the refusal to move of Brabant's Horse, we had to return to camp. The dis senting South Africans were marched a dis tance of fifteen miles to the nearest railway station, which, in itself, was a privation to men who had been so long in the saddle, and taken to Capetown, where they were cast adrift. Their horses and accoutrements were distributed amongst their own division and ours." It will be noticed that this im plies that the authorities had no further use for the recalcitrants, but Lord Kitchener's message to the War Office clearly shows that this was not the case. Private Christison, of the New South Wales Mounted Rifles, says he is confident that but for the conduct of the South Africans De Wet would liave been captured, and that the disgusted Aus tralians would have nothing to do with them afterwards. Several of the leaders, he men tions, were discharged, and the others agreed to continue. Their conduct was unmilitary to a degree, but if so stem a disciplinarian as Lord Kitchener can assert that they have amply atoned by their subsequent gallantry for their misdeed, surely Mr Bryn Roberts can leave them alone.
