THE VOLUNTEER ENCAMPMENT.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume XXIV, Issue 2145, 21 April 1897, Page 2

THE VOLUNTEER ENCAMPMENT.

Perhnps the most interesting feature of these holidays has been the visit of the College and Mounted to Akaroa. The mounted men, under Captain Fnow and Lieutenant Neave and accompanied by Lieutenant Wolfe, (camped «n Mr White's property at | Little River (or to speak more correctly, J Corpora] White of the 0.V.C.) on FriI day at 3 am., and reached Akaroa at I 1.30 pm. As we before recorded, Lieu- ■ tenant Smith, of the Ccliege Rifles | , arrived in Akaroa on Thurfidny with a I fatigue party, and made preparations for I the encampment. The main body of the Uifles came to Port Levy in the defence lsunch Lyttelton, and marched to Akaroa via. Piueon Bay, arriving here at 6 p.m. on Friday. 'J be encampment j was in a psddeck kindly tent by Mr Robl. Bayiey situnted (ippofit<R his botei, and was in every way a pnttablfi place, and Kβ may bare say that t:h« officers of both Corps sisked v* to record thsir gratitude for 'he great kindness shown them by Mr and Mrs Bayiey end o<her resi~ (leivtK. On Saturday ?hc wpa»hcr was unplewant, but both corps wure paraded ami drilled. After dinner (hero w»b a slmn fight It. had been arranged that fcbo Mounted Rifle? should defend the town and the College Rifles attack. Captains Day nod Snow were umpires. T{i« College men were under the command ot Lieutenant Smith, and the J Moauted Rifles under lieutenants 1 Wnjfa and iSltave. Tfce line** ot denw cation were the Chrietcburch road on one i*'uw, utstT Buiguerie Street on the o<her, and the «t asking psity was to endeavour to pet imo the main street of the town. Th« College, Rifles were given nn hour's start, jind went along to Balfjuerie Street; at the top of which, indwell op in tlu hills. Lieutenant Merton was left with half the company with instructions to entrnge the defenders on the hills at the back of Mr Armstrong's whilst Lieutenant Smiil-, with the remainder, ms.iie a devour and endeavoured to descend on the town from the road to vjhristx'hurch. The defending party divided into sections, end videttes placed on the hills orerlooking the tawii. Outposts ware planted up evsry by-street, whilst a line of commanicaiion wrs kept between these by peouts. In ispito of theee preoAdtiona. however, Lient>'nant Smith haviug led hie men through dense ecrub Hnd bush for two miles, descended on the camp from an unlooked-for direction and captured if, fii'ijing on!y four or five men left to defend it., and the umpire's decision was of course in his favour. Duriag their difficult march through couutry, totally unknown to them, the College hiffee fully upheld the honours gained in the late marching competition. The smartness of the men was much appreciated by the you'hs of A karoo, who took great interest in thfl soldiering. A skirmish then took plnce at the rear of the camp, which was witnessed with intense iuterest by a large cnywd a bayonet charge of the College Rifles being specially interesting. The officers were entertained at v smoke concert on Saturday night, and that same night two young men were caught about ihe camp and detained for the night, receiving a very severe lecture from Capt Dey in the morniug. On Sunday there wa? church parade, and early on Monday morning a start was made for UhrisLchurch. It was an exceedingly pretty eight to see these fia« bodies of men file past the town boundary Very soldierjy they looked, and many an admiring eye followed them, for though the day was young, the fair bpx were well represented. The College Rifles, with Captain Day, Lieutenants Smith and Hawdon, gave he.irty cheers for Mr an.] Mrs Bayiey as they swept and the example was emulated by the Mounted Rifles under Oaptsin Snow and Lirmtenen s Neave and Wolfe. Amongst' thp mounted men was nn old Aknroa hxnd, Mr '■ Prosper Borland, who is Sergeant Mejar ■ of the corps, and we understand an hX- I ceedingly efficient of.cer His half- * brother trooper, F. H»hn, was the winner , of the prize for the b. u st mounted turn , out. The College reached Port*, I Levy at 5 p.m., mnrobin,)? the 26|- miles i in 6 hours and 55 minutes—excellent ' work on such a road» The mounted men ' reajched Cbristchurch at 10 p.m. Space ' forbids our , writing more at present, but r we ehall give a fuller description of the r vieit in a future issue I