Trooper Richardson in the same way; Paris gave a banquet to its two soldiers; Brantford banqueted Mr. T. F. Best, of the Y.M.C.A.; Norwood greeted its two representatives with a reception and gold watches, chains and pins; Fergus and Simcoe presented Addresses and watches and Stouffville gave a banquet to its single representative. Belleville welcomed its three soldiers with ringing bells, decorations and the presentation of watches. Port Hope gave a supper, a patriotic concert and a gold watch to each of its fourteen representatives and celebrated the event also with decorations and a public holiday. Gananoque had a procession, a formal reception and a benefit concert. At Port Dalhousie Corporal Watson was given a gold watch and chain.

The welcome given at Kingston to Lieut.-Colonels Drury and Hudon, Surgeon-Major Duff, Lieut. Leslie and thirty-four noncommissioned officers and men was a procession through thousands of cheering people, a public reception and welcome from Mayor Kent and a banquet on January 16th with the Mayor in the chair. Speeches were delivered by Alderman Farrell, Lieut.-Col. H. R. Smith, A.D.C., Mr. B. M. Britton, M.P., Mr. H. A. Calvin, M.P., Mr. J. H. Metcalfe, ex-M.P., ex-Mayor Ryan, Mr. E. J. B. Pense and the officers who were being welcomed so cordially. Guelph received its little phalanx of Lieut. McCrae and forty soldiers with enthusiasm. Mayor Nelson presented an Address on behalf of the Council and after a few brief words from the Lieutenant, speeches were made by Lieut.-Col. Mutrie, Lieut.-Col. Nicol, Mayor-elect Kennedy and others. On April 9th the Guelph members of the Contingent were formally presented with gold watches. At Hamilton the returning soldiers were received by the usual cheering crowds and welcomed at the Armouries by Mayor Teetzel and Mayor-elect Hendrie. It was announced that a gold watch would be presented to each of them. The Address given to Surgeon-Major Osborne and his twenty-five men was eloquent with patriotism. "For we are proud of you men of the second Contingent,-proud that in the mighty Empire of our Empress-Queen gathered from wher'er her banner flies, the sons of the Northland have held no mean place, and that you have upheld, as we knew you would uphold, the honour of your country and the city of your home."

St. Catharines welcomed her 18 men with ringing bells and decorated streets, a thanksgiving service and fireworks and illuminations in the evening. On January 13th, Winnipeg received Major Williams and his men with a procession through cheering crowds, a brief church service, and a luncheon at the Drill Hall. Mayor Arbuthnot presided at this function supported by the Hon. R. P. Roblin, Rev. Father Drummond, the Hon. C. H. Campbell and Chief Justice Killam. The Premier, in speaking after the Address has been presented to Major Williams, referred to the much-deplored death of Capt. H. M. Arnold and then dealt briefly with the cause for which Canada was fighting. Nowhere had he ever read of a more just war than the present conflict. It had greatly assisted in the unification of the Empire.

Father

Drummond spoke of the bravery which had now made Canada so widely known. "The reason of the world-wide success of the British Empire was that all its citizens were firmly bound together in the bonds of brotherhood." A public reception was held in the evening and speeches of welcome delivered by Lieut.-Governor, the Hon. D. H. McMillan, the Chief Justice and the Rev. Dr. Patrick. Ald. Carruthers presided as chairman of the reception

committee.

On February 18th, Sergeant Hudson was given a gold watch and a small purse by the town of Parry Sound. Trooper L. W. R. Mulloy, of Ottawa, who had lost his eyes in one of the fights of the war, was an object of various special presentations and receptions. Trooper G. H. A. Collins, in an interview in the Montreal Star, of January 12th, stated that he had been with Mulloy at the battle of Belfast where he received his wounds. The latter had turned to him in the midst of his sufferings and said: "Well, George, I guess this will make a blind man of me; but if I had to go through it again I would do so." A benefit concert was given for him at Brockville and lectures which he gave at various points in Ontario and the Maritime Provinces during the year were largely attended. In Montreal, on April 19th, a banquet was given by McGill University graduates to the local troops who had returned from South Africa. Amongst those present were the guests-who included Surgeon-Majors Wilson, Worthington and Fiset, Captains Irving and Laurie, Lieutenants McCormack, Fraser and Ross-and Principal Peterson, Sir William Hingston, Mr. Justice Archibald and others. On the succeeding day at Brandon, Manitoba, an Address and a gold watch for each were presented to Sergeant Bradner and Troopers Othere, McIntosh, Ward and McGregor. Many other places welcomed individual members of the Contingent in much the same fashion or gave combined receptions to returning soldiers of the various Contingents who had arrived home at different dates.

Meanwhile a General Order had been made public, and was afterwards included in the special Militia Report of the year 1901, which paid high tribute to the services and capacity of the second Contingent. Dated at Headquarters, Belfast, November 20, 1900, this document stated that Major-General H. L. Smith-Dorrien, D.S.O., could not allow the Royal Canadian Dragoons, the Royal Canadian Artillery and the Canadian Mounted Rifles to return home without "thanking them for the grand work they had performed for him in the Belfast Flying Column." They had proved to be "splendidly brave and mobile troops." He had no words in which to express how great a loss they would be to his force. It may be added that the Canadian Mounted Rifles lost, during the war, Lieut. T. W. Chambers, Lieut. A. L. Howard, D.S.O., Corporal J. F. Morden and Troopers Woollcombe, Clements, Frost, O'Kelly, Kerr, Lett, Wood, Ball, O. Smith and J. R. Taylor. The Royal Canadian Dragoons lost Lieut. C. F. Harrison, Lieut. H. L. Bordon, Lieut. J. E. Birch, Capt. C. St. A. Pearse, Lieut. F. H. C. Sutton, Staff Quartermaster B. Hunt, Sergeant

N. D. Builder, Corporal E. A. Fillson, Sergeant L. J. S. Inglis and fifteen troopers. The Royal Artillery lost nine men.

Return
of the
Strathconas

Strathcona's Horse had been equipped and despatched from Canada, on March 17, 1900, at the personal expense of Lord Strathcona, and consisted at first of 28 officers and 512 non-commissioned officers and men, with Lieut.Col. S. B. Steele in command. During the campaign the force greatly distinguished itself, and after serving under General Buller for some time in the Second Cavalry Brigade, with Major-General the Earl of Dundonald, C.B., D.S.O., in command, they were from October onwards under the command of General Barton. On January 11, 1901, came the order to prepare for the return home-after representations had been made that the time of service had expired and that to many of the men engaged in business pursuits it would be a hardship to remain longer. Four days later Lord Kitchener bade the force farewell; informed them that they had marched through nearly every section of the Transvaal and Orange River Colony and that he had heard nothing but good of them; and stated that he had received letters from Generals all over the country asking for Strathcona's Horse. The Regiment arrived at Cape Town, on January 20th, immediately embarked for London and arrived at Gravesend on February 13th.

It was the intention of the Imperial authorities to pay special honour to the Regiment-partly on account of its services and partly as an indirect compliment to Lord Strathcona-and this intention was fully carried out. Immediately on landing, they were taken to Kingston Barracks and thence, on the following morning, were posted in a conspicuous position to participate in the reception of the King, as he and Queen Alexandra drove to the opening of the first Parliament of the new reign. The cheers given by the crowds in the streets were most enthusiastic and obviously appreciative of the Imperial services of the kharki-clad troops. On February 15th the Regiment was inspected and welcomed by His Majesty at Buckingham Palace, and Colours were presented in person to Colonel Steele as well as medals to each member of the Regiment present. The King also decorated Colonel Steele with the M.V.O., and delivered a speech of congratulation to the officers and men. Queen Alexandra, Lord Roberts, Sir Redvers Buller, the Duke of Connaught, the Princess Louise, Mr. Brodrick, Mr. Chamberlain, Lord Strathcona and others were present. Mr. A. G. Hales, the well-known war correspondent, wrote of the event in the Daily News, of the following day, as follows: "How proud they looked, those close-knit men, dressed in their plain kharki, no ornaments, no trappings, no man-millinery— they looked liked men well fit to hold a nation's flag and hold it high in time of storm and strife. If Canada has many more like these,

then she is rich indeed."

Following this came a series of functions in honour of the officers and men under direction, very largely, of a Reception Committee headed by the Duke of Abercorn. Every facility was given the

soldiers to have an enjoyable time individually as well as collectively, and theatres and places of interest were thrown wide open to them. Lord Strathcona gave two luncheons-on January 18th and 21st respectively-attended by Mr. Brodrick, Secretary for War, the Earl of Aberdeen, the Earl of Dundonald, the Duke of Abercorn, Lord Stanley and many other distinguished persons. A conspicuous incident of these occasions was the enthusiastic cheering of the men for General Buller and the evident popularity of Lord Dundonald. On January 23rd, the corps left for Liverpool where they were the guests of the Lord Mayor, Mr. Arthur Crossthwaite. A luncheon was given them, with 10,000 people in the galleries, and speeches delivered by prominent persons. The Regiment then marched to their ship, through two miles of crowded streets.

While in London, Colonel Steele was interviewed, on February 20th, by a correspondent of the Toronto Mail and Empire (March 9th). He laid stress upon the scouting services of his men, developed through habits of alertness and watchfulness obtained during their life on the plains. Of General Buller he spoke warmly. "He is a great soldier, and his men swear by him. When one thinks of the natural difficulties he was expected to overcome with 50,000 men, when 200,000 would not have been too many, the wonder is not that he was delayed in getting through to Ladysmith, but that he ever got there at all." The experience acquired now, Col. Steele thought, should make the British army "the fittest fighting machine in the world." As to the Commissariat arrangements, he could only speak of their own experiences. "All through this campaign, the provision made for our comfort was marvellously good. We, at least, have nothing to complain of. All the vast territory, over which the army was scattered, could only be reached by one single line of railway and yet we never wanted for food or a single round of ammunition." Nor had they any reason to criticise the hospitals where the difficulties, he added, were unprecedented. He thought the British people were too much given to running themselves down, and that no other military nation would have done as well in South Africa as they had. The Canadian horses were exceptionally good-especially those from the western plains.

On March 8th the Strathconas arrived at Halifax, and the officers who landed with their men were Lieut.-Col. Steele, M.V.O., Major R. Belcher, Major A. M. Jarvis, Capt. D. M. Howard and Capt. G. W. Cameron; Lieutenants E. F. Mackie, J. F. Macdonald, J. E. Leckie, R. M. Courtney, A. E. Christie, G. E. Laidlaw, S. J. Steele, G. H. Kirkpatrick, H. Tobin; C. B. Keenan, the medical officer, and G. T. Stevenson, the veterinary officer. Others who had accompanied the Strathconas from Liverpool were Lieut.-Col. J., Lyons Biggar, Capt. H. M. Mackie, Capt. A. J. Boyd, Lieut. Van Straubenzie and Lieut. Leach. Shortly after landing, Colonel Steele, in the presence of thousands of onlookers, thanked the guard of honour, composed of the 3rd Royal Canadian Regiment, in a few fitting words: "Boys, never forget that you are Canadians, and that

Canada as a country has no superior in the wide world. Always be ready to take up arms to defend the Empire whenever the occasion calls." In an interview on the same day with the Halifax Herald, Colonel Steele said that he had been offered the command of the Petersburg District in South Africa and might accept. There was," he declared, "no better body of men living" than the Strathcona Horse. They obeyed orders strictly, and we always had magnificent discipline." They were always kind to women and children. "The soldiers of the regular British army also were exemplary in this respect. The war had been conducted on humane lines.'

The Strathconas left Halifax on the evening of the 8th and arrived at Ottawa on the following day. Along the route crowds were at many points to welcome the soldiers home, and at Moncton, N.B., an address was presented to Colonel Steele. There was only an informal welcome at Ottawa, and the train soon left for Montreal where on the 10th a large and enthusiastic crowd cheered the returning troops. Meanwhile, the Commander of the Corps had issued his formal farewell to the officers and men. They had, he pointed out, left Canada 597 strong, and had sailed from Cape Town with a strength of 415. But a number remained in England on furlough, so that those who landed at Halifax were 18 officers and 262 non-commissioned officers and men. They had lost 12 men killed in action, and 14 had died from wounds, fever, etc. Sixty men had been invalided to England, 26 had remained in South Africa on private business, and 38 had joined other corps of whom 14 received commissions. He concluded by expressing appreciation of the devotion and loyalty shown to him by all ranks during the campaign. It had been a year of self-sacrifice, but they had earned a name for themselves amongst British corps. In future years, he hoped, the members of Strathcona's Horse would always remember and try to emulate the sterling character, munificence and integrity of the noble founder of their Regiment. In a letter which was dated January 23, 1901, and appeared in the Victoria Colonist of March 6th, Lieut. T. E. Pooley, who had been in charge of the men from British Columbia in this Regiment, wrote a concise summary of its record and a strong tribute to its members. He, himself, had remained behind in another force. Of the character and conduct of those under his special command he could not say enough. As to the Regiment, he had heard more than one Imperial officer say that a few thousand more such troops would have “ ended the war before this.” The Gordon Highlanders had declared of the Canadian Infantry that they would rather fight beside a Canadian than anyone else. "Strathcona's Horse have marched, undoubtedly, up to the time they left, further than any other Regiment which has been out here. They have been continually on the move since June last, seldom stopping longer than two or three days, and on one occasion, a week. They have been through Zululand, Natal, Transvaal, north, south, east and west; Orange River Colony and Cape Colony; a record which no other Regiment has." Later in the year Major Dalby, of