MOUNTED CAMP AT YALDHURST.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1720, 10 April 1913, Page 7

MOUNTED CAMP AT YALDHURST.

MIDNIGHT ARRIVALS. A TREK IN PELTING RAIN interesting ceremony. (By Telcjrraph.— Spoclal Correspondent.) , p , , , Chrislchurch, April 9. • rl >o mounted camp nt Yaldhuret'is now in full swing. ]i y an rar j v ] 10|n , on Tu( , s _ ilny morning all the moil Jiad arrived in camp, with the exception of the Ashburon contingent of the Eighth (.South Canterbury) Regiment, which arrived last Al : °,'!l" K ' ■ 0,lt " mounded'oil Monday night, the South Canterbury men' and tno Amuri contingent of (lio Cnnter>ury loomanry Cavalry wmi missing. . , ' m hour after midnight, however, a noise was heard at tho gates and the ooullv Canterbury men inarclicd in. Everything was ready for their reception, mid thev soon attended to their horses and mailo ready for a good night's rest. Hardly had they got well into the cam]) when tho skirling of bagpipes was heard, mingled with the rattle of a side-drum, and in trooped tho Amuri men, 6omG sixty strong, headed by two pipers mid a drummer. Hot colVco was served out to all the new arrivals, together with a riuioii, and the camp fell asleep again. J.ha Ashb'.irtou men, who. rode into tho camp, staying at liakaia over-night, arnyod during yesterday evening. J. ho officers commanding all tho units, says the "Times," arc well pleased with tlio way the men entered, camp. Their march 'discipline was very good, and tho way in which the troops entrained and detrained, in some instances in the dark, i rts in tho caso of tho South Canterbury ' men, was extremely creditable. This company, comprising men from Waiinatc, liinaru, ami Geraldinc, entrained in such dense darkness that thev lost a horso during tile operation. They performed their trek from Hornby to Yaldhurst in pelting rnin, but all took tho matter philosophically. The long rido of tho Ashburton, troop was also performed in a manner creditable to all concerned. •ii ll '"testing ceremony in connection with the camp will bo tho handing over of tho colours of tlio old C.Y.C. Rpginicnt to the custody of tho Cathedral on a dilv to be fixed later. Tho whole brigade (mounted) will rido into Chrislchurch, arriving in all probability about middav, ; and proceed to Cathedral Square. Lieu-tenant-Colonel Rhodes will then hand over the colours to Bishop Julius at tho door of. tho Cathedral, and tho Bishop will place them inside, where they will remain. The amalgamation of tho two regiments pre- , ' y'9 us i'j' existing in North Canterbury has : ]«M'o the abolition ;of tho. previous ! C.Y.C. regiment, that name being now held ''by tho present combined regiment, ; winch will have a new design prepared for'its Hag. It is customary in the British Army for regiments to hand'their old colours over either to the churches or > tho Royal castles, and the custom will thus bo followed in tho present instance. The riding in of 1000 mounted men should bo an impressive sight, and tho handing over of the colours will be an occasion of an unusual nature. ,