OUR VOLUNTEERS.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 94, 27 January 1872, Page 3

OUR VOLUNTEERS.

Colonel IlAinxcnoN continued his inspection yesterday. At 0 a.m. No. 3 11.R.V. assembled at their drill shed, and marched on to the parade ground for inspection. Thirty-five rank and file mustered, under Captain Newby and Ensign Cock, and were put through the various movements by Captain Newby. With one or two exceptions, the men drilled well, and at the conclusion the Colonel said that there certainly was a marked improvement since last year, but that there was still room for more improvement. lie also strongly urged on the men to attend their parades regularly as that was the only means of. attaining, a proper degree of efficiency. Upon inquiring if any of the men wished to ask any questions, Corporal Graham came forward and asked whether the capitation grant belonged to each individual man, or to the company,and whether, if a man left a company, he would be allowed to take his uniform with him. Colonel Ilarington said that the capitation grant was paid to the company, and the Government held the captains of companies responsible for its proper use. The uni-

forms also belonged to the company, and no man leaving was entitled to take his uniform.

The T.R R. Cadets, under lion. Captain Robertson, Lieutenant Gudgeon, and Ensign Marshall, to the number of 30, and the Engineer Cadets, under Captain Rowe and Lieutenants M’Kcnzic anil Pascoe, mustering 30 strong, were next inspected, and put through various evolutions on the move, the manual exercise, etc. Considering that the youngsters have only had their rifles for a short time, they behaved remarkably well, and the Colonel was well pleased with this his first inspection of cadets in this district.

In the evening the Thames Scottish assembled in Grahamstown and marched down to Shorthand, headed by their pipers They mustered well, there being 50 rank and file and two pipers, under Captain Murray, Lieutenant Robertson,and Ensign Stewart. Their manual and platoon was certainly excellently gono through, and though their skirmishing was not quite so good, this can easily be accounted for, as they are as yet a young company. The Colonel, when addressing them after parade, said that he was very glad to have seen them. He was pleased to see that they had acquitted themselves very well at the shooting, having qualified two men for Canterbury. He considered them a very fine body of men, and was glad to hear that they would not have any members who did not attend parades. He also complimented them on having kept silence whilst under inspection. The Navals, who had arrived on the ground, were the next to be inspected. They mustered 44 rank and file, besides 18 bandsmen, or a total of G2 all told, under Captain Best and Lieutenants Baseley and Bruce. Their present was excellent, and so was their marching, but as darkness was coming on they were not kept long. Colonel Harington addressed them, and gave them the same advice ns he has done to all the others. Their shooting had been remarkably good, and though they had not qualified any one for Canterbury, they would have plenty of chance to win some of the district prizes, ns those men who were returned as representatives would not be allowed to compete for them, thus equalizing their chances of winning some of the money voted by Government for hem.