COLONIAL RIFLEMEN AT BISLEY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVIII, Issue 203, 31 August 1897, Page 3

COLONIAL RIFLEMEN AT BISLEY.

A CHAT WITH THE MEN.

(FKOM OUR SPECIAL LONDON CORRES PONDENT,)

London, July 23.

I took a run down to Bisley on Wednesday evening, to see how the New Zealand shootists were satisfied with what they had been doing in the competitions. Shooting had just concluded for the day and as I approached the plain in the dim, but long ' drawn out English twilight, everything looked rather dreary and forlorn. The sky was threatening, and to me there appeared every prospect of a repetition of the severe thunderstorm of the previous day, when the telegraph office was struck. by the lightning, but fortunately, owing to the careful insulation, no one was injured. As the train drew near the camp, bands of volunteers were passed at short intervals trudging along the high road away from the ranges, and I thought rather dejectedly, like men passing away from a saddening field of battle, or the stragglers in the retreat of a defeated army. However at the camp everything was very different. Close to the station was the telegraph and post offices, both doing a roaring trade, and adjacent the great building of the refreshment caterers was a blaze of light and animation. Everywhere groups of shootists were discussing the day's shooting—some bemoaning their ill-luck and others elated at their own success. Up the hill a little way a concert was proceeding—one of a series given, so I learnt afterwards, by the different rifle clubs. In and out I wandered in quest of a New Zealander, and I was lucky enough to drop on one after a very short search, in the person of Corporal Banks, who was busy licking stamps in the post office and affixing them to a number of papers, which bore various colonial addresses. We walked up to a little tent on the rise, outside which was a board bearing the two words "New Zealand." This is for the men to rest in and is very comfortably fitted up. They sleep at night in a farm - house about a mile and a - half from the camp, and on this particular occasion Corporal Banks was the last remaining at Bisley. We sat down, and in response to my first query I was informed thab everyone was keeping in excellent health. With regard to the shooting and what they had done, they were all perfectly satisfied, including Major Somerville, except in one particular, and that the Kolapore Cup. This was shot for on the previous Friday, and being the only team match for competitors from the whole Empire, was considered of very great importance. The English team was one of the best that could be picked, being composed of men of the calibre of Pt. Muirhead, of the 3rd Lanark Volunteers, more generally known by the nickname of "Old Reliable." The English team were of course favourites, bub the match resolved itself into a duel between the Victorians and the New Zealanders, and the Victorians won by three points. Such is the irony of shooting. The Victorians were never believed to have a " possible" show, but they won and captured the £80 prize money, a silver bugle, and, best of all, the " Cup," which, during all the years it has been competed for, had previously only left England once, when the Canadians held it for a year. The poor New Zealanders got absolutely nil from this match. They seem to have bad somewhat hard luck. The Victorians had completed their shooting at the last of the three ranges (600 yards), and the New Zealanders had still three shots to go. Before they had fired them, however, the wind chopped round, ana Gunner Webster, of Auckland, With his one shot, and Bandmaster King, of Oamaru, with his two just went on, and their three shots only produced seven. Taking the other shots that these men had just fired at this range a few minutes before they might have been expected to make more than ten out of the three. Ten would have made it a tie, and eleven would have won the Cup;« Had someone only known and told them what depended on the three shots, they would have waited till the wind came round instead of trying to gauge the change, but against that is the possibility that they might have become nervous. However, such was the result of the Kolapore Cup; and although everyone says that no blame was attachable to the two last men to fire, and that they shot their best, still I don't think I should have cared to have been in their shoes for a little while after the match.

"We really have been excellently treated," said Corporal Banks. "We are members of almost every club on the ground, and it is wonderful what an interest everyone takes in our shooting. I believe at first they were rather doubtful whether we could handle a gun at all, but still they were curious to see, and the results obtained by the Antipodeans was somewhat of a revelation to them. The shooting, you will have, of course, noticed, has been altogether exceptional this year, mainly owing to the introduction of the Lee-Metford, and our own scores are much above anything we could do in the colony with the Martini-Henry. New Zealand has a somewhat warmer reception, I believe, than any of the other Australasian colonies, simply because people know next to nothing about it. It is amusing what a vague idea the majority have of its geography. People come up to yon and mention ' the fact that they know Mr. Brown in New Zealand, or that their cousin Mr. Smith is out there, and then they are surprised that you do not know the person intimately for reasons they ' in such a small place surely everybody knows everybody else.' They put me in mind of the old lady who landed at Wellington wharf, and, hailing a cab, said, ' Cabby, kindly drive me over to Auckland; I have some friends there I wish to call on this afternoon.' However, I am afraid I am wandering from the point. How do we compare with the other colonies ? Well, I think we appear more often in the prize list, so far, than any of them, but it is impossible to form a just comparison till the close of the shooting. I think one of our best performances was the Wimbledon Cup 10 shots at 600 yards. There Were close c- i t'^'isand competitors, and out of six, prizes we spired two, Private A. Ballinger was fourth with 49 and I secured sixth "with 48. I was a tie with a great many others,bnt in deciding this they count the 'score backwards and my last five shots being "bulls" I was placed sixth. The whole of our men in this match averaged fls out of the possible 50. The only really important social function we have had here was on Thursday 15th, when a most enjoyable evening party was given by Sir Henry Fletcher, Chairman of the Association, to the Colonials at Bisley. Our remaining matches outside those left in the Queen's are the "Graphic," Alexandra, "Daily Telegraph," and Duke of Cambridge." As the hours are strictly "early "at Bisley, after a stroll round the -camp with its hundreds of tents, I said wod-night to Corporal Banks and returned by train to town. THE WEEK'S SHOOTING I am indebted to Corporal W. A. Banks for the following account of what contests the New Zealanders were engaged in up to Wednesday 21st. Wednesday (14th):—All took part in the Imperial Match, seven shots each at two, five and six hundred yards. Gunner J. L. Webster, of Auckland, with a score of 94 was the only prize winner. The next best scorers among the New Zealanders were Gunner Howe, of Wellington, 91, Private Somerville (Somerville junr. of the Mounted Rifles), -tnd Private Simpson of

Christchurch, 90, and Corporal Banks, Canterbury, 89. In the afternoon was the Secretary of State for War match, 10 shots at 800 yards; Corporal Banks (Canterbury) was the only prize winner, his position of 12th with 46 bringing him £2. Nine competitors with scores of 45 were counted out of the prize list, and among these was Gunner Webster (Auckland). All took part. Thursday : This was an off day with the Colonial shootists, and they had no match compelling their attendance at the butts.

Friday.—Friday was the surprise day, Victoria winning the Kolapore Cup. It was thought that Canada, Queensland, and New Zealand had a good chance as any of wresting the honour from the English team, but the unexpected happened, and Victoria, with 751, bested New Zealand's score of 748 by three points. The Mother Country representatives registered 732, Canadian and Cape team compiled 731, and the other scorers were: Guernsey, 727; Natal, 725; Jersey, 710; Queensland, 688 ; and India (a scratch team), 670. Saturday.—The Wimbledon Cup, 10 shots at 600 yards, was competed for by all the New Zealand team, and of the six prizes they carried off two, Private A. Ballinger being fourth with a score of 49, and Capt. Banks, who was a tie with half a dozen others, with 48, was placed sixth when the scores were counted. The Avhole of the New Zealanders made the splendid average of 45. The Prince of Wales' match was also fired on Saturday. It was a match for holders of Association medals, and as these Association competitions have not taken place in New Zealand for a great number of years it was found that but two of the team were eligible. They were Private Richardson (Dunedin), Gunner Webster (Auckland), and both failed to get into bhe prize list. The former's score was 90, and the latter's 86.

Monday.—On this day commenced the match.of the meeting—"The Queen's — and on Monday and Tuesday the first stage was shot off. The match is a somewhat complicated one. The first stage comprises 7 shots each at 200, 500, and 600 yard ranges. The top man out of this secures the Bronze Medal, and no less a number than the first three hundred are eligible for the second stage. The ranges are 10 shots at 500 and 15 shots at 600 in the second si age, and the top man obtains the coveted Silver Medal. The first hundred out of the three competing all get badges, and are eligible for the final stage, which is a severe test of 10 shots each at 800 and 900 yards. The top man, besides the championship, receives no less a sum than £250. There were fully 2,000 entries this year, and the New Zealand team got five men into the second stage. The head was Gunner Howe (Wellington) with 96, and the others were Private Hawthorne (Wellington (95), Private Richardson (Dunedin) 94, Private Harris (Canterbury) 94, and Bandmaster King (Oamaru) 94. There were 100 other competitors with 93 who had to fire off for nine places and among them were Private Ballinger and C.P.O. Williams (Wellington), and Privates Simpson and Parsons (Canterbury), but none of them secured one of the nine places. ' Tuesday. —In the afternoon the colonials took part in the " Daily Graphic " match, seven shots in any position at 200 yards. Corporal Banks (Canterbury) was one>of_ the 42 to put on the possible, and Privates Ballinger, Hawthorne and Harris wer6 included in the 143 who scored .34, one _,under the possible.