Volunteer Items

Feilding Star, Volume XI, Issue 77, 19 December 1889, Page 3

Volunteer Items

The Bruce Herald states that a remarkable thing happened to Vol. -A. W. Martin last Friday af ternoou while firing at the butts. He was completing his firing for marksman's ' a Ige at the 100 yards range, aud had tired his last shot, making a bull's eye, when he was struck a severe blow on the forehead before he had his rifle down from his -shoulder. He imagined he had been struck by a party at his side, and asked what the "matter was. Sergt. major Towler, who was in charge of the squad, came up. and examined Martiu's hat, when he found that a piece of bullet had -gone through and. was inside the lining. The portion of the bullet weights just four penny-weights, and is almost conical iv shape. It rebounded with such force as to raise a lump on Mr Martin's forehead after going through his stiff. felt hat. Now that the volley and independent firing is practically over, it will be ' of interest to volunteers, no doubt, to compare their results with, those of the auxiliary, forces at Home. The 'ranges were 200 and 300, and the averages were, for independent 59 2 per man (out of 70), and 90 per cent volley firing. The scoring for the year is a marked- improvement over • last year, when the highest score in - individual practice was 61, arid several 58s got prizes ; this year several 61. s get nothing at all. — " Breech loader" in the Napier News. If war were ' declared to-morrow France' could put into the field no less than five armies of 200,000 ineu each, and two armibs of 150,000 men each j—the whole these armies being completely equipped for a prolonged campaign, and supported by ample reserves for etappen duties, and for replacing casualties. This is five times the strength of the force which Napoleon 111. placed in the field in 1870.