Featherston
26/6/16
Dear Folk
I daresay you will be wondering what has happened lately but to tell you the truth between being kept busy & the time passing at such a rate time has just flown this last week. Since writing you last we have taken charge of the horses & having learned how to ride we are now on the high road to some interesting work. It was real good fun in the riding school but we did not have so much of that as we might there was only two or three that could not ride. The worst part of the game now is stables it takes us three quarters of an hour to groom & feed & how the time is filled in I cannot say. Also we have our turn of picket about every five days & as we have to put in four hours each during the night it is not to pleasant unless one is lucky enough to strike the first shift that is from half past six until half past ten. The others from half ten or from half past two are not so pleasant as the nights rest is broken, of the two the last is the best as one can go to bed an hour or two earlier & so make it up. One thing about it is that we do not go out on parade the next day but are kept busy all day. I am going on tonight and have struck the last shift was on twice before but happened to get the first in both cases.
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I was in Wellington again on Saturday night & Sunday & had quite a nice little spin. I left this time by the last train left here at five & got to town at nine & left on Sunday at eight fifteen getting back to camp at five to twelve so you see I am not in to good humour to go on night duty. However another chap took my place last night to enable me to go so I have to take his tonight. Jess and I went up to Penningtons in the afternoon & found all well, there is quite a family of them now and they have a fine home. I also met a niece & nephew of Joe’s, Gibson’s from Sydney. They have been staying with them for about five weeks but are going on to Palmeston about the end of this week. They told us when we got the horses that we were to get our leave when we finished with them that is after six weeks & two have already gone but I do not think we will get away as soon as that may have to put in another two or three weeks on foot to brighten us up again. If the next month passes as quickly as the last has the winter will not be long going by but they tell us here we can look for bad weather in the spring. The weather here was grand up until Thursday but it broke then & has been very disagreeable ever since. Have to go so will finish this again.
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27/6/16
I stopped rather suddenly last night but now find time to proceed with the good work. It kept fine all last night but rained about six this morning but after that it kept fine & tonight it has every appearance of another spell of fine weather. The boys who were out on parade today took their lunches & so made it much easier for the picket so we who were in had rather a good time. Had a letter from Waiheke this a.m. & all are well there they are still expecting me up that way when I get my leave but failing that anticipate a trip to Featherston. It is just a large order for them to put in I think, but if I behave myself I might manage to sneak two or three days to go as far as Auckland during the second term. Two from here have already had three days leave to go home so I do not see why I should not be treated likewise. The only difference in that they ar officers ordilies. The fourteenth mounted are still here they having been due to leave last Friday but owing to some hitch in the shipping are still here much to their disgust. They are now to sail from some southern ports & in all probability Dunedin. They have been here long enough. Lin
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is looking fine & as keen as mustard the last day or two he has been quite flat reckons they will be called, the permanent staff, if they stay much longer. As they are to have four days notice before they go it will easy be the end of this week because there is no word of them going today. I wrote Lottie the other night to say they might be down that way & for her to keep a look out. One of our Corporals has just come in to tell us to parade at half past seven for cash & I can tell you there is not many now that do not need it. I wonder if I told you before that we now get five shillings a day in any case it is so after the first four weeks. It is wonderful where the money goes. There will only be another three pays before we get leave so I am going to send some home so that I will be sure of that much any if I do not I am sure to spend it some other way. What hard luck for Ernie after him expecting to get away every day & then to be turned back it certainly looks as though they are not letting an of the enteric cases back to the front again. Kate has been having a great shin and I think that if she was on her return we would have heard of her by now.
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I am not going to be long out of my bed tonight after I collect my fortnights collection & post this it will be well on for eight & I will have my bed made ready & set sail for shut eye town. Evidentally the debating society is going to go ahead this year. It was a funny thing but last Friday night I was thinking that Henry would be getting a kick off & sure enough Annie’s letter confirmed what I thought & Ned is coming with him. Kate will have something to talk about now & Henry when he arrives will have something to write about. What about Rita & Annie are they still upholding their end of the stick, with another sister there it will be all McNeils down there it will take the new neighbours to balance things. The young fellow Woodley was telling me the other day that his father has sold his farm down there again. What changes there is going on the old Rothie people & McNeils will soon be the only ones left. I daresay by this time you will know who was the highest bidder for Tottie. I have just about run out of news so will have to stop. By the way I saw the photo you sent to Jess while down and I am sorry to say it was doubled in two coming through and slightly damaged. It was cracked just across George neck & my face but it is not noticeable at a distance. Jess was
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saying she had not heard from anyone since the last time I was down & I think she was expecting word from someone. Everyone tells me I am looking well & putting on condition so rest assured. Hoping all are as well as I am.
Your Brother Charlie.
