OUR VOLUNTEERS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5307, 29 March 1878, Page 3

OUR VOLUNTEERS.

On March 9th the members of the City Rifles fired for the silver medal and money prizes presented by the company. The medal is a neat piece of workmanship, and engraved in the centre is the following: —“Challenge medal, W.C.E.V., N.Z., 1877/’ BeCdes the medal there was £7 10s. in money, distributed as follows ;—£l 10a. to winner of medal; £2, second prize; £l, third prize; and to the winner of medal at each competition, 10s. The conditions of the matches have appeared in our columns before, and it is needless to state them again. The weather on Saturday was most unpleasant for the competitor’s, yet notwithstanding the difficulty under which they labored some good scoring was make. Private Nodder was highest with 64, the others being very close. The following table will show the number of shots bred, with the respective scores;—

The Wellington Artillery Volunteers mustered in force on Saturday, March 9th, at the Mount Cook Barracks, under the command of Captain Moorhouse, and proceeded with their three 6-pounder Armstrong guns to Evans Bay for the purpose of shot and shell practice. An excellent lunch was provided on' the ground, after partaking of which the business of the day commenced. A 12ft. square target was placed on the opposite side of the hay at a range of about 1700 or 1800yds ; Seven solid shot and three shell were allowed for each gun. Very excellent shooting‘was made; iu. fact, several of the shots went clean through the target. The prizes; , were awarded as follows the first to No. 1 detachment under Sergeant Russell, the second to No. 3 detach-ment.'-under- Corporal Diamond. After! tho jmze-firing the several detachments were put, through their drill, a prize' being offered for the detachment that would mount and’dismount the gun and limbers in the shortest space of time. In this competition No. 3 proved themselves the smartest, beating 'No. 2 by 2sec. A limber race was the next item on the programme, No. 3 proving themselves again the victors. Next: followed tho rolling of wheels. . This event was won by Gunner Ganuaway, with Bandsman Tiernay a good cecond. The last event was the “tug of war,” won by No. 2 detachment after a very hard struggle. Several showers of rain fell during the day, which tended to somewhat mar the enjoyment; but the W.A.V.’s are not easily

put out, and the pouring rain they had to face on their way home did not prevent them giving three hearty cheers for Major Pearce (their late commander) and three for Captain Moorhouse. A team of the late* Wamuiomatn Volunteers, at the invitation of Captain Thompson, of the Kaiwarra Volunteers, paid a visit to the latter at Kaiwarra, on March 11th. The team, with their wives and families, arrived early, at about nine o’clock, and were entertained by Captain Thompson, who provided them with a substantial breakfast, after which they made their way to the butts, and a match was fired between thorn and the XCaiwarra marksmen, which proved a very close one, the visitors ‘ winning by a small majority. In the evening a “big feed” of all sorts of good things was laid out in the schoolroom, which was done ample justice to. Aftsr all hungry souls were satisfied, Lieutenant. Cameron, on behalf of the Kaiwarra Volunteers, presented Captain Thompson with a most handsome silver cup, with his name inscribed on it and the date of the presentation, and expressed in a few well-chosen sentences the regard and esteem which the company at large felt for their captain, for the energetic and persevering manner in which he always worked, for the interest of the corps. Captain Thompson then thanked the volunteers, and expressed 'his sense of the honor, and gratification at the presentation, and stated that as far as he possibly could he had always, he thought,, conscieutiouslydonehis utmost forthebeuefit of the company, and he. hoped would continue to do so. (Cheers.) He then explained that, owing to the new volunteer regulations requiring every company to be fifty strong, the Waimu corps, being unable to recruit that number, ! were conLequenfcly > disbanded, and .it had re- , quired the most strenuous efforts on his part to raise the standard number. Tables, &c., being cleared away, some of the lady visitors favored the parly with some extremely nice singing, and a quartett was rendered in a really exquisite manner, getting very heartily encored. Dancing was indulged in till ; ten o’clock, when the late Captain of the W ainuis stated that he ' wished to thank the Kaiwarra people for the hearty manner in which they had entertained them, and he invited the Kaiwarras to fix a return match at Kaiwarra next month. ' Captain Thompson then responded, thanked him, and accepted the invitation on behalf of his corps. Af er some cheering, the party left, all expressing - jtisfaction, Mr. Brandon, M.H.R. for I - e Country Districts, was present during part of the evening. After the departure of the guests dancing was‘ renewed till an early hour in the morning. A correspondent at Karori has favored us with the following particulars of' the rifle volunteer meeting at that place, on March 2nd:—The Makara, rifle volunteers met on Saturday at the Karori butts to fire for the company’s prizes, which included many useful presents from several Wellington friends, viz., bags of sugar, boxes of soap and candles, also wearing apparel, a cruet stand, cigar cases, a gold pencil case,- several pipes, and some money pi’zss. Over 50 members competed, and in consequence of the fact that most of the present members of the company have lately joined, the committee wisely decided that these annual prizes should be so arranged that the beginners would have something to stimulate them in trying to become good shot*, instead of making only three or four prizes of them, which invariably fell to a few who monopolised both local and district prizes. The scores were very far beneath the average shooting of the company. The ranges were 300, 400, and 500 yards ; five shots at each range, and a full-sized target, Mr. Brandon, H.H.R., visited the ground clrving the day. After the distribution of the prizes, the members sat down to an excellent spvead in Host Spiers’ usual good style, to which full justice was done by the volunteers and friends. After the cloth had been removed, the chairman (Captain Monaghan) proposed “TheHefVth of Her Majestythe Queen,” which was duly honored. “The Captain’s Health” was proposed and responded to, after which a handsome sword, and also a valuable watch and gold chain, were presented to him by Mr. S. Lancaster on behalf of the company. Mr. Lancaster, in making the presentation, referred briefly to Captain Monaghan’s services to the company during the past ten years, when he worked fur .them with all his might. , He also referred to the interest which he had taken in the individual welfai'e of the members of his company in getting their land scrip for those who were entitled to it at an early date, bo that they would have ample time to select. Captain Monaghan, on rising to thank the company, was loudly cheered. He said he never expected to be presented with such a number of valuable presents as those now before him. It was true he had always tried to do his best to maintain the company in an ! efficient state, and he accepted their presents as an acknowledgment of that, desire, and hoped they would all .attribute his failings to his head and not to his heart. .He also hoped that the young men he saw around him that night would take the lesson to heart. He was glad to find that the gates of promotion were open to all in this free country, without let or hindrance to class, creed, or nationality, and he hoped they would all exert themselves to qualify for any office within their reach. He again thanked them for the unabated kindness shown to him during his connection with the company, and said he hoped that, if in the past there were, any drawbacks,, he would make amends; in future. During the delivery of his address he was repeatedly cheered. (l The Subscribers to the Prize RSmd” were then proposed, coupled with the name of Mr. Brandon, M.H.R., and duly honored. “ The Prize Committee,” coupled with the name of Mr. Lancaster, was next proposed, and responded to by that gentleman. “ The Land we Live in” was then given, and enthusiastically received. “The Vice-Chairman” was the next toast, which, was acknowledged in suitable terms by Lieutenant Monk, who was well received. “ The Health of the Host and Hostess ” was duly. honored, and was ably responded to by Mr, J. E. Spiers. Several songs and recitations were given during the evening, and on the whole it may be said that a more enjoyable time has seldom been spent by those present. After eleven o’clock all dispersed, after sieging “God Save the Queen” and “ Auld Lang Syne,” &o.

• Karnes. Bulls* eyes. Centres. Outers. Misses. ■S , Private McIntosh 31 ■ 40 7 258 Private Cording 25 43 11 ' 1 251 Captain Crowo. .. 2S 30 12 4 244 Private Noddcr 30 31 13 G 230 Sergeant Harris.. 17 44 14 0 22S Prlv. \V. Ballinger 23 so 13 8 220 Priv. J. Pallinger 21 32 18 9 210