THE VOLUNTEER ENCAMPMENT.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 362, 24 April 1889, Page 5

THE VOLUNTEER ENCAMPMENT.

Easter is the season usually chosen by our citizen soldiery for the annual sojourn under canvas, the weather at this time of the year being milder and more genial bhan at any other. Following out the usual custom, the encampment is being held this year at Hamilton West, but for reasons with vrhich our readers are already acquainted, ifc is a failure in point of attendance. This is all the more to be regretted in the light of the fact that, whether from bad management or other causes, the vol- < unteering spirit has been gradually on the decrease for some time past. Four or five years ago, the volunteering strength of Auckland was matter for pride, but to-day the greatest difficulty is experienced in keeping any but the naval companies above the minimum strength. This is not as it should be. Our young fellows are plentiful enough, and the tendency of youth is in the direction of volunteering, so that it is evident the fault must be the system. Ib was expected that not fewer than 800 volunteers from the city and suburbs would take part in the encampment, but counting every officer and man, it is with the greatest difficulty that 400 can be shown. Conclusive proof is thus afforded by the volunteers of their disapproval of the action of their commanding officer in refusing to meet the Mayor with respect to the reception of the Governor. This dissatisfaction appears to have been particularly strong with the rifle corps, which only mustered 100 men all told. Provision was made by the railway authorities for the conveyence of about 800 men from town on Thursday night, but the total number who went up by that train was about 300. Fortunately, the country corps came to the rescue and swelled the tobal attendance to about 600, so that in point of number the present encampment is the poorest and worst attended held for many yeai-fr. The troops left town according bo previous arrangements on Thursday evening, a fatigue party of 60 men having preceded them in the morning. The muster took place at 7 o clock in the Drill-shed, where Colonel Shepherd, addressingthevolunteers, said that all he would ask them to do was to keep up the credit of Auckland as they had done in the past. He had every confidence in them, and hoped they would make this encampment a credit to the New Zealand volunteers. The troops were then formed in fours and marched to the railway-station, headed by Garrison Band No. 2, under Bandmaster Hunter, and Garrison Band No 1, under Sergeant Dormer. Thesceneatthe Auckland Railway Station was a very animated one. A large number of people had assembled within the station ' enclosure to witness the departure of the [ troops, and, as might have been expected, I the spectators included many who had come down to bid " our gallant defenders" "good-bye" and "a good time." The sisters, cousins, and aunts were all thei'e, and so likewise was many "a nearer one still and dearer one yet than all other." In fact, some of the leave-takings were so prolonged and so aSectionate that a casual onlooker who didn't know all about it might have come to the conclusion that the "boys" were actually off to the wars, instead of bound j on a four days' " outing " at Hamilton. The volunteers were formed in line in front of the carriages in order to facilitate the embarkation, but a good deal of delay took place before they received the order k> take their seats, then the final adieus were said, and the train, which was a very long one. took its departure from the station, amidst enthusiasm and ringing cheers on both sides, shortly before 8.30 p.m. At Newmarket it was found that a large crowd of people had assembled, but no stoppage was made, the train going past the station at full speed. The first station at which a halt was made was Penrose Junction, where the expedition was joined by Lieut.-Com-mander Hulse, Lieut. Culleo, about ten men of the OnehungaNavalsand three members of the Onehunga Rifle corps. Lieut.-Com-mander Huse attributed the small muster i principally to the fact that some of his men were to have got on the train at Newmarket, and that they must have been left there. Penrose having been left in the rear the i train got ahead at a fine rate of speed, and the men settled down very comfortably. From this time up till the arrivalof the train at Mercer there were one or two stoppages, and en route the men enjoyed themselves and passed away the time very well in song and conversation. All seemed to be in remarkably good spirits, and as a matter of fact, they were very well behaved indeed, excellent discipline being maintained considering everything. It transpired subsequently that the panel of a door and one of the windows of a carriage had been broken by a member of the Ponsonby Naval corps, but the man to whom the | act was traced, and who admitted that he I was the offender, said that it was the result of an accident, and agreed to pay for the damage done. The guard of the train was satistied with the explanation. At Mercer the expedition was joined by a separate carriage containing the Pukekohe, Waiuku and other volunteers, and the journey was resumed at 11 o'clock. As far as Mercer there had been good progress made, but the extraordinary length of the train, many of the carriages of which were absolutely empty, precluded tho possibility of getting on mudh speed, and stoppages were longer than appeared to be necessary. The night was intensely cold, there being a heavy frost, and the next few hours experienced were anything but pleasant for the men. By 1 o'clock on Friday morning the train was still a good many miles from Ngaruawahia, and the majority of the men were almost benumbed with cold. It is worthy of note that no complaint was heard, notwithstanding their uncomfortable condition, and all continued in capital spirits and thoroughly good humour. Ngaruawahia was in total darkness when the train passed through that township, and the stoppage there was very brief. It vras not until about 3 o'clock that Frankton Junction was reached, and, as may be imagined, th© men by this time were, as some suggestively expressed themselves, "almost perished." Another prolonged delay took place at Frankton while the trucks containing the cavalry horses were shunted off, but at last the train started on the final stage of the journey to Hamilton, which was reached immediately before 4 o'clock in the morning, nearly eight hours having been occupied on the journey. To the astonishment of everyone on the train, ifc was found that quite a number of the good people of Hamilton were waiting on the platform, and they gave the volunteers a hearty reception, cheers resounding on all sides. The disembarkation was quickly made, and the volunteers formed into line outside the railway station. Those civilians who had gone up by the train found comfortable quarters at Mrs Gwynne's Hotel, which is so pleasantly situated on the bank of the river. The volunteers set out on their

march to the camp, headed by the Garrison Bands. It then transpired that they had not by any means concluded their , journey. They had a march of orer three miles to the site of the encampment, which I was more than two miles on bhe other side of the river, so that it was nearly five o'clock before they reached their destination, With very great forethought the fatigue party, which preceded the main body, had ready hot coffee and bread and butter, and the refreshment proved highly acceptable. Very little time elapsed before the men were in tbeir tenbs, these having been erected by the fatigue party, but it was too much to expect that they would have much sleep that night. Consequently they did not turn out very early next morning, and breakfast was served between 9 and 10 o'clock.

WHAT THEY GOT FOR NINEPINCE. One ecood effect produced by the agitation set on foot with the view of having proper food provided for the troops was that the promoters of the encampment were stirred up to the necessity of making better provision for the men than was originally contemplated. The food served out, although plain, was substantial and plentiful, but of course there were no luxuries, the bill of fare consisting of more solid comforts.

SITE OF THE CAMP. The men awoke yesterday morning to find themselves located in a camp consisting of some seventy tents, pitched on a piece of flat table land, on the banks of the river. It vras divided by a small stream, which at its source sprang from the ground in a clear spring, furnishing a capital supply of good water which passed through a proper filtration bed. Thesite was certainly not the best that could have been chosen, the situation being too low, nearly 40 feet below the natural level of the surrounding country. As may be imagined, the heavy fogs, which are so common in the Waikabo, shut down over the camp at night like a dense veil, and rendered things peculiarly uncomfortable. In this respect the camp was badly chosen, and, being in the hollow, nothing could be seen of the surrounding country. To make matters worse, the tents were pitched in a wilderness of titreesufficienb of which had been cleared off to make room for the camp. The distance from the township, too, was too great, but in this respect the contractor for the canteen certainly had nothing to complain of, as the arrangements practically gave him a monopoly of the business.

MORNING IN CAMP. The troops having arrived at such an early hour in the morning, it was only to be expected that the camp arrangements later in the day would prove to be somewhat in a muddle, and this proved to be the case. At noon yesterday the promised supplies ef firewood were not at hand, ! and fatigue parties from different companies were out at different times cutting green titree for the purpose of cooking. A quantity of firewood was, however, obtained later in the day. During the forenoon the muddle was greater than there was any necessity for. After dinner, however, matters improved rery considerably, | and the camp was under much better j discipline. Both officers and men deserve credit for the manner in which they | adapted themselves to the emergencies -of the case, and settled into their respective quarters. As a matter of fact a casual spectator would have imagined that the troops were "native and to the manner born," and quite at home in their natural environments. The duties devolving upon che officers and men were discharged with a remarkable degree of alacrity and willingness, and the m«n showed a soldierly spirit that was highly commendable. There was a fair attendance of Hamilton people in the camp in the afternoon, and the operations of mounting guard and j other camp duties were watched with a great deal of interest. A general parade was called for 4 o'clock, and the whole of the companies on the ground took part. Colonel Shepherd was the inspecting officer. The correctness of the official parade state having been questioned, the press representatives present made a careful calculation, and found the number present, including those engaged cooking and on guard, to be as follows :—: — | Staff, 7. Garrison Bands, under Band-master Hunter and Sergeant Dormer, 41. Auckland Navals, under Lieut.-Com-mander Parker, Lieuts. Smith and Gerrard, 50, all told. Ponson by Navals, Lieutenant- Commander Miller, and Lieutenant Whitley, 55. Waitemata Navals, Lieutenant-Com-mander Hitchens, Lieutenants Keesing, Cullen, and Montgomery, 52. "A Battery of Artillery, Captain Geddes, Lieutenants Ansell and Haultain, 42. "O" Battery of Artillery, Captain James, 35. Engineers, Major Anderson, Lieutenant Elmes, 38. Victoria Rifles, Lieutenant Somers, 22. City Guards, Lieutenant Dormer, 31. Onehunga Rifles, 3 men. Wairoa Rifles, Captain Crawford, Lieutenant Creighton, 28. Newton Rifles, Captain Robertson, Lieutenants Durham and Taylor, 23. Royal Irish Rifles, Captain Leahy, Lieutenants Tobin and Caulton, 27. Hamilton Light Infantry, Captain Reid, Lieutenant Kirk, 45. Waiuku Cavalry, Capt. Barriball, Lieut. Barriball, 28. South Franklin Mounted Infantry, Major Harris, and Lieut. Bilkey, 19. Te Awamutu Cavalry, Capt. Bruce, 22. This gives a grand total ot 568 officers and men, and it will be seen that the total muster of volunteers from Auckland was not more than 400, while the volunteer authorities had confidently counted upon getting from town at least 800. The Auckland Navals have a strength of considerably over a hundred, yet their total muster was fifty. Nevertheless, taking all things into consideration, the Navals mustered very well, as they always do. The artillerymen mustered very well too, but the rifle corps had an average of a little better than twenty men for each company, while under the regulations, they must have a minimum strength of 63 men and their maximum strength is supposed to be one hundred. It will be seen, as a matter of fact, that the Auckland rifle corps have only in camp 100 men, all told, and this must be accepted as a severe commentary on the present system, and the dissatisfaction that has existed in regard to the Easter encampment.

THE STAFF. The staff is as follows ; officer commanding, Colonel Shepherd. Regimental staff: Captain Skinner and Major Pirie, gallopers to Colonel Shepherd ; Captain Kohn, Camp Adjutant ; Sergeant- Major Grant, Brigade Sergeant-Major ; Sergeant- Major Campbell, Brigade Clerk j Drs. Dawson and Walker, Medical Staff : Captain Eobertson, Quartermaster, and Private Osborne, Quartermaster Sergeant. Captain Robertson proved an admirable quarter-master,, and a veritable slave to duty. Ser~ geant-Major Grant also deserves kudos foethe excellent manner in which he discharged his duty.his experience in ' Auckland camps ibeing very extensive. — Auckland " Star," April 20.