Volunteer Items

Feilding Star, Volume XIII, Issue 147, 9 June 1892, Page 2

Volunteer Items

Liomtenant-Col.Newall will inspect the Manchester Eifles to-night. Pull dress. The Manchester Rifles will parade to-night at 7.30 sharp for drill and inspection. A new sword is being provided for officers of the Army and the auxiliary officers. The old sword is considered antiquated. It was meant, it seems, for cutting and thrusting, while the more refined modern methods of butchery only advise thrusting for officers on actual service on foot. In the new weapon the sword is perfectly straight with a squared hilt to give play to the wrist in guarding and thrusting. Only about ten inches of the edge in front from the point is sharpened, but six inches from the point in the back is likewise sharpened for cutting. The rest of the blade, back and front, is blunt and rounded for parrying purposes, and has no power to cut. It is very light, and is pronounced altogether a model weapon. It is to be hoped, however, our officers will never more have need of such a weapon. When the Wellington Cily Eifles paraded for the Governors's reception on Tuesday afternoon, Oolonel Newall presented Sergeant Donald Mcßoan with the Government gold medal, given for the best shot in the North Island at the recent Volunteer shooting competition. Colonel Newall congratulated ihe winner on his success, and expressed a hope that he would meet with the same good fortune and exhibit the same ability next year. The medal is a very handsome one, and bears the inscription ' Presented by the New Zealand Government to Sergeant Mcßean, of the Wellington City Eifles, as the best shot in the North Island, 1892.'— IS.Z. Times. The report published by a Wellington paper that Colonel Fox had during the shamfight on the Queen's Birthday, put under arrest Lieut, Macalister was without; foundation.