COLONIAL PRIZE FIRING.

Evening Star, Issue 2855, 13 April 1872, Page 2

COLONIAL PRIZE FIRING.

This Day. (From our own Reporter.) Christchurch, April 6. Friday’s rain, though heavy, left no visible impression, to speak of, on the streets of Christ hurch, and the strong wind that blew in tbe evening had the effect of completely drying up tlie ground in the country. It was, therefore contrary to general expectation that when the men went on to the range on .Saturday morning they found the ground improved, if anything, as the dust was well laid down. On parade, Colonel Haringten informed the men that the committee, chosen two days before, had made arrangements for giving a banquet to Major T . C. Wilson, C.8., in return for his kindness in lending his ground as a range, and that it had been decided to issue invitations to the hon. the Premier, the hon. W. Reeves, resident minister, the Superintendent of Canterbury, the Mayor of Christchurch, the Captain and Officers of H. M. ship Rosario, now in Port Lyttleton, and to the representatives at the firing of the Lyttelton Times, Press, Otago Daily Times, Dunedin Evening Star, and Hawke's Bay Herald . The Colonel also intimated that he had placed himself in communication with the Hon. the Defence Minist r, who had agreed, if necessary, to postpone the steamers a day to enable all the men to compete for the special and extra prizes. These special prizes are the marksmen’s and allcomers’ matches, and the extra one the ladies’ match, for a prize which is sure to bo very handsome, as the fair sex of Christchurch are subscribing for liberally towards it. Besides these, th-. rc are several other matches on the tapis ; but it is doubtful whether our men will stay for any of them. As it is, it will be Friday or Saturday before they leave, as they will stop for the all-comers’ match, which will be worth entering for. '1 he whole of the representatives will compete ; and nearly every man in Christchurch who can handle a rifle and obtain one, and the necessary time to fire, will do so ; because it is expected that the first prize, to which the Government will add LB, will be worth over L2O. Recurring to the subject of the dinner to Major Wilson, I may mention that it has given dissatisfaction in some quarters, which is to be regretted, as it would have looked much better had the dissatisfied not allowed their grievances to st .nd in the way of making a decided success of what is intended to be a compliment to the liberal owner of Cashmere, who is a most enthusiastic volunteer. The Cavalry Repr. sentatives consider, on what grounds 1 have not been able fo discover, that from the outset they have been snubbed by Colonel Harington, and have not neglected anv opportunity of letting their opinions be. known. Thus it happened that on the parade in question the cavalry to a man refused to take part in the proposed demonstration. Their C .nterbury confreres, however, are determined to entertain them instead, and to- night they will be the guests of the mounted corps of Christchurch. Let me add that the citizens of Christchurch are equally dissatisfied. It appears that they took steps to entertain the representatives at dinner, but Colonel Harington informed them that time could not be spared for the proposed dinner to the men. Seeing that time has been made for the other affair, the townspeople naturally grumble, and say they have been very shabbily treated. Judging, however, by present indications, the representatives will not have much cause to complain of the treatment they .have received. The local volunteers are confining their attention to the ball to be given on Thursday, which will certainly be the grandest affair ever seen in the solouy, and will cost not much under LSOO.

The shooting on Saturday commenced a little later than usual. At the start there whs scarcely a breath of wind, while the sun was disagreeably warm, but as the day advanced a slight breeze sprang up, and though at times it blew pretty strongly, it did not materially affect the shooting. The match was the

Seventh Match.— Eauges 200, 500, and 600 yards ; seven shots at each ; any position ; targets at 200 yards (Oft x 4ft), centre 2ft square, bull’s-eye Sin square : at 600 and 600 yards, 6ft x 6 ft, centre 4ft square, bull’s eye 2ft square ; a trial shot at each range. Ties to be decided as provided for in General Rules. First prize, LI *2 ; second, L 9 ; third, L 8 ; fourth, L 7; fifth, L 5; sixth, L 4; seventh, L 3; eighth, L2.

The fi ing, remarks the Lyttelton Tones, was very good, more especially when it is understood that during the greater portion of the last range, the light on the targets was very deceptive, and one of them was half covered by the shadow of the marker’s butt. Last year there were only live shots at each range in this match, consequently it is not very easy to anal', se the respective winning score. There is no doubt, however, that Saturday’s tiring was much better, not only in the winning scores, but all jthrough, than for the same prizes in 1871. On the latter occasion the winner made six points short of an average of centres, but it will be seen that Coleman’s prize score on Saturday, though including a gr at number of shots, which makes it all the more difficult to keep op the average, is an average of one point more than centres, This is sufficient to show that there was an improvement, but to carry the compa'ison further, it may be stated that between the lirstand seoond prize scores last year, there was a drop of sixpo.nts, and that the lowc -t prize score was 10 points less than the first prize score, whilst on Saturday there was only a po nt or two between first and second prize scores. The shooting at 500 yards was exceptionally good. Gordon’s 25, Humphrey’s 25. Bassett’s 25, Soper’s 24, and Harrison’s 24, out of a possible 28’ being the result of very steady shooting. The unusual number of 23’s at this range, which is over centres, is worthy of mention, as also the fact that Major Stapp’s squad at this range made the unusual average of 21.54 When the men moved to the last range there was a considerable f eling of excitement by reason of so many being clo e together, and the progres ive chances of the competition wc;e keenly debated upon. Muir had the misfortune to fire his tecond shot at this range on to the wrong target, and no doubt the five successive mi ses which followed are in a measure explained by this unlucky accideuf, Greer’s fifth shot was also aimed at the wrong target, and nar. owly escaped the boy who was engaged marking at the time. It was said that a bull’s eye wis made by the shot, but how far that may be correct we are unable to say.

Coleman - 200 yds 500 vds 600 yds T1 * 3334333 4334340 4403433 64 Soper - . 3433444 2344432 0433322 63 Humphreys . 3433443 3434443 0223322 63 Lean - 3423443 4222332 3443043 62 Cray - 4432334 2243333 2342233 62 Bassett - - 3444433 3432244 0303243 62 M ‘ Farland - 4324332 3332242 4234332 61 Wilson - * 3333334 2332443 4232223 61 M‘Donald - 3333333 3343444 2432030 60 Buchanan * 4333334 3433342 3240303 60 Wales - * 4333334 3344332 2203322 39 Kelly - Hamlin - * 2223333 4342232 4433330 58 * 3334333 3330442 3424202 58 Taylor - Cowie • * 3434343 2342423 0430033 57 * 3333333 0233323 3334043 57 Blatch - - 4332233 3324432 4230340 57 Liddel - * 4334333 0342244 3203430 57 Philpotta Hoskins . 3442333 2032334 2322242 56 * 3334333 3243333 2220403 56 Key - 2333344 2043423 43k3330 56 Morrow * 2333233 3344430 3042240 55 Christie - - 4442333 3330232 3233032 55 Chamberlain * 4333342 2242433 2222023 55 Dixon - * 3323334 4233243 3 ’42020 55 Reid - * 3333334 2232423 0342032 54 Carter ■ * 3324442 2223433 3402220 54 Churton- * 3343233 2023232 2r34334 54 Harrison * 4334343 4230332 0424002 53 Fenton - - 3222343 0240222 3233334 53 Gordon - - 4333444 2232342 2230020 52 Paton • * 3322423 2040444 3032302 51 Brown - * 4442233 3442234 0302200 51 Close * 2334342 2033324 4002223 51 Gulliver* * 3333343 r023330 4034403 51 S. Greer* * 3233333 2200223 3324323 51 F. Greer* * 3433332 3000443 2243004 50 Henderson * 2334343 2002242 0422233 50 Duncan - * 2343234 2043220 2302234 5H Cameron * 4334333 0232433 0322002 49 Curtis • * 3233333 3000223 3333223 49 Skene • - 2332332 3244024 3244024 49 Moore * • 3343343 2222223 3230030 49 M'Lareu - 4433333 3322222 2020203 48 Partington Fox * 4433323 2032323 0004223 48 - 4243333 2022400 3304033 48 Todd * * 3333432 3232422 2300400 48 Sutton - * 4333323 2042343 2020003 46 Muir * 3343334 2232333 3000002 46 Marshall - 4223322 2000332 2234*42 45 Wiley * * 3222233 0223334 3303000 43 Inues * 3323323 4043320 0302020 42 Shepherd , 3323330 3214043 0300030 41

200 yds 500 yds 600 yds Tl Oates - 4333333 0000200 3004243 40 Snodgrass - 3042332 0203430 3033200 40 Pavitt - - 2333243 4033004 4000002 40 Payne - - 4322333 0200022 2024000 34