VOLUNTEERING EIGHTEEN YEARS AGO.

Bruce Herald, Volume XI, Issue 108, 31 January 1879, Page 5

VOLUNTEERING EIGHTEEN YEARS AGO.

■■ ■ ■» (Contributed.) j At Stirling, the other evening, I uoticed i several young men dressed in neat volunteer uniform, and armed with the modern rifle ; it put me in mind of my volunteering days in Taranaki, in 1860 and 1861, and the contrast between my rig-out and the present seemed to me most marvellous. I landed in Auckland in 1860, and of course, the Taranaki War was the exciting topic. It was before the telegraph time in New Zealand, and everyone was anxious for news. Soon after I landed, H.M.S. Niger came into the Manakau Harbour with the exciting news that the settlers wanted help, and the Captain was willing to take anyone thafc wished to join, I, with three shipmates, went on board the Niger, and the following morning arrived at Taranaki. It is a magnificent view from the roadstead, Mount Egmont standing out in the background, with stripes of snow down its sides * I thought it most grand. Wben. we landed on the beach, and it became known that we were real volunteers, the inhaliUuts Iclsa . Ed most kindly-

However, it was not lorrg Itpfore we had information {»ive_ us to report ourselves *t the Adjutant's office, and then*, for tlio first time, /thought I was really in for it 7 After reporting ourselves, we had the ohoice of becoming either militiamen or volunteers, and we being; single men were required for outpost duty, and 48 hours was grunted us to make up our mind and have a look round. Ton could not go fur 'as the town was surrounded by Maori es 1 joined No. 2 Militia and was sent to Fort Murray, a blockhouse, constructed in the shape of a cross built of very thick slabs with a high fence and ditch outside. It stood a few chains away from the sea, very nice and pleasant on a fine day, but doing sentry on wet and rough nights , . was anything but pleasant. After being in the block-house a few days, learning drill, &c, I began to wonder when I should get my uniform and arms. About the fifth day J was told off with a sauad to the township to get my kit, and the following was about the sum total :"— A very -long rusty brown Bess musket (it weighed 16 lbs), bayonet to ■■■-. match, small leather pouch for caps, a Cart ridge- box, which was made out of the top" of an old Wellington boot, with a :■ .'wooden bottom, and we had to fiad pur own straps, a blue flannel jumper, and an old worn-out '65 great coat. However, being all served alike, it was no use grumbling. In each- block-house 25 men and one officer were stationed, and each, man in his turn had to do the cooking for tbe day, Jt was no joke to do it, as there was no kitchen ; all had to be cooked in tbe open aii*, and some rum dishes were made I can assure you. By the-bye, Dunedin's late Sheriff, Mr I. N. Watt, was captain of the company I was in, and his residence was close to the block-house. and his garden fence was a regular God send to us for firewood. I wonder what he would say now to it. Each one of us had to do sentry — go two hours on and two hours off, night and day. At night two sentries were put out, and they had to walk half way round the block-house, and if anything suspicious was no-iced, they had to inform the officer on duty inside. I shall never forget one night the sentry coming in stating that he saw lights at a Mr Shm-land's house \eiy near half n mile awa-,-. We were all tailed out, and placed in single tile, with guns loaded and capped. We presently saw lights moving about. It was supposed to be Ma-iis looking for lead to make bullets, or going to burn dowu the house. 1 was ouUide, man, and nearest to the steep ditch, and when the order wis given to fire, it was something to be remembered My o d Brown Bess gave me a m st dreadfiv k'ck, which sent me reeling down into the ditch j in fact, I thought 1 was .*hot Fancy all this for Is a day and tucker, and rig out to boot Wt'.en I. think of the difference then and now, 1 feel that New Zearand has advanced indeed.