A Trip to the Encampment.

Feilding Star, Volume VII, Issue 137, 29 April 1886, Page 3

A Trip to the Encampment.

By "Kbjxo."

Having attended all the previous Feilding race meetings, I felt inclined like a good many others for a change on Monday last, and accordingly a▼ailed myself of the cheap excursion to Wanganui, and set off to see the -volunteer encampment The train was pretty heavily laden at starting,* but at Halcombe additional carnages

luuLto be put on, the same at Marton, and again at Turakina, so great was the bomber of passengers from these and oilier places who wexe bent on the same pleasure as myself. At the lastnamed station, in addition to the large double engine always used for the fcalaace of the journey, another one was put on behind to help the enormous train of some .score of closely packed carriages up the hills, and even then it was. quite as much as the iron torses could manage to get us up the' steepest parts of the inclines, and once to twice the train almost came to a stand. • However, a few minutes before moon saw us alongside the Wanganui platform. A rush was at once made to the ticket office of the Heads Railway, and by payment of a shilling I got a return, ticket, and in a few mm- j utes was brought up close to the damping ground. On entering the gate the first sight was the guard tent, j •outside, which were to be seen on guard three Feilding men, this post of honor, if I may so call it, having been given to -• four boys." The encampment itself, especially as seen from the hills, was a very pretty sight, and could only Tbe described as a good-sized town of «anvas and calico, the tents being so arranged as to form, as it were, streets. J was somewhat disappointed to find that the sham fight had taken place in iile morning, and nobody seemed to know what was going to be done fur- i tlier,^ as there was then a drizzling; isßJuk.' ; . £m>, however, soon lclearedoff, maid, meeting' with Colonel Gorton I wmglad to learn from Mm a review would Pertly commence; w,hich it did sooin. after two o'clock. The march f)ast; or rather the marches past in Tarious forms, as seen from the rising ground, was indeed a grand sight, especially when the six companies of cavalry went past at "the charge." The marching of the two cadet cbrps t one Naval and the other Rifle, was particularly admired by tne spectators, who clapped them ; right heartily. 1 could not Eelp thinking that if the jrouth of FeUdßhg hid witaesaed this part of the show 1 they would petition in a body to be formed into a corps. The matching over, the infantry, *avals, and artillery formed into two squares, in response to the command 44 prepare for cavalry I" and then commenced a tremendous fire from the muskets -and the big guns together, Which was truly deafening. "This over, one had to rush for the return train to town aad clamber on board to find mm am best could be done, thus mxs*<to the grand finalej viz., the review I* brigM»>*rder, with volley and inftp wife«t firing, &c. I must; not omit t» vaaptom. that the proceedings were ai— <lj ealivened by the strains of &• bran bands of Wanganui, Nattier and Wellington. Tfce Napier Band, with a complete set of 'spleudid «21Veici>--flated instruments, which? understand they &sve recently purchased front Home at a cost of £300 t looked ver* nice -s»4 were much admired by all. We left Wanganui with,' I think, a train of twenty-five carriages, and three engines as far as Turakina, rand" st a law minutes past eigtit Feilding station was again reached. " If I might : be allowed to criticise fltetrran arrangements, I would, whilerotiomtending the present District Manager for kit liberality as to fares on special occasions, respectfully suggest that he might make' such provisions as to timing the trains that the publio would be better accommodated and pleased, white the Department would be more /greatly benefitted. For instance, Monday morning's train might have started a little earlier instead of later than usual, while the return iournej might have been delayed at least an hour, as. it generally is on O^bflr festive occasions. Besides,' why fjipt for that matter give, us excursion fates extending over a longer period |han one day, and thus give the public neater encouragement to travel.