The Encampment.

Feilding Star, Volume XVII, Issue 232, 4 April 1896, Page 2

The Encampment.

On Thursday night the Manchester Rifles mustered in force in the Drill Hall in readiness to proceed to the proposed encampment at Woodville. Notwithstanding the heavy rain which fell in the earlier part of the day, tbe members who reside at a distance rolled up to a man. In several instances they went through to Palmerston to meet the train there to proceed to their destination. If the weather was bad here it was worse in Wellington, in fact there was such a downfall thafc the men in marching to the station would have been drenched. It would consequently have been unfair to pack them in the railway carriages in such a condition, at the risk of their health, only to be detained at the end of their journey and put into wet tents to sleep on damp straw. Under these circumstances the officers considered they were justified in refusing to leave Wellington. This of course upaefc the whole arrangements of the double camp— Pahiatua and Woodville — therefore Colonel Fox directed that the several corps from Napier, Taranaki, Wanganui, Marton, aud Feilding, en route, should be sent home again. This was done accordingly. The Napier men took the matter very calmly, and adjourned to their Drill Shed, where they held a pleasant " social " and consumed the provisions they had prepared for use in the camp. Tbe men from the North got as far as Halcombe when they were sent back to Wanganui Of course the Manchester Rifles had to accept the inevitable, and thej' quietly dispersed. The Manawatu Mtd. Rifles, Captain Dunk, rode through the Gorge to Woodville, and after spending the night there rode back to Palmsrston yesterday afternoon. At Woodville the weather was wet and miserable, tbe ground being somewhat sloppy. The arrangements for the camp were, however, in every way complete, and there can be no doubt but what the Woodvillian3 would have done their best to malic the men comfortable had the latter arrived during the bad weather. Yesterday, although there were occasional glimpses of sunshine, m the afternoon the rain fell in torrents, so that the creeks and tributaries to the Manawatu river were rising considerably. Last night the rainfall was almost continuous, and, everything considered, the order countermauding the assemblage of tbe various corps was wisely given. No doubt the officers and men were bitterly disappointed, but only the wretched weather could b 9 blamed.