THE VOLUNTEERS.

Press, Volume XLIII, Issue 6626, 17 December 1886, Page 2

THE VOLUNTEERS.

THB BAT TLB OF THE BTYX. Pursuant to general orders, the Canterbury Battalion of Bifle Volunteers and tbe Lyttelton Navals muttered at the Christchurch Kailway Station yeateiday morning, aid proceeded northwards oy special train shortly after tight o'clock- With the. .. object of meeting an enemy t upposed to be i approaching Caristchurch from the Siy* river, the Eottineers, under Captain Webster; the City Knaxds, Lieutenant Garner, 3.; College Rifles, Captain Harper, 27; Christchurch Bifles, Captain Richards, 47 j Sydenham, Captain Cxon, 43; Biehmond. Captain Bowron, 52; ana the irisA, Lieutenant Narrell, 42, with the Garritea Band. 3.. detrained at Chaaey's Corner, and the Navals, 4/5, under Captain Beset* - who were to represent tho enemy, proceeded to Kaiapoi, where the SaiapM Biflea, 54, under Captain Whitefcord, and Cadets, under Lieutenant Alexander, west stationed. Lieut.-Colonel Lean wtt to charge of the whole battalion, and aw officers were Majors Newall and Joyce asd Captain and Adjutant Francis.

Haying arrived at our deßttnittion, the Navals embarked in the steamer __-»-«» and we were conveyed down stream as far as tbe mouth of the Eivtr. Styx, where we were to effect a lauding if possible, and march » . Chtiitohurch. Our journey was short and unsucceasful, the Spit at the Styx being kept by the Mounted Biflei. whose advantageous positionrendertdtt impossible for ub to land, and after returning their fire we proceeds 1 np make a fresh start mas Kaiapoi. BcsW&p?* had we passed the Saltwater Creek <*&&*% north bank than the appearance of a rea jacket through the aper'.nrea in tae manuka scrub near the itine Eiaerve wtt only tco piiinlr an evidence that our movi-.. ments were suspected, and the si®*" 6 *,,, was not allow to approach n«« enough WIT • us to effect a landing. Firing w ith jnflg- . ment and reaerve we picked_ cff the e»* , po-cd defenders withoutexpoaangonr-elves> • to any great extent, but to BO __^

_-t_Bßßg~~~~~~~ =S =~~~= ■' m^M_______m**_r*m*3twikml*k c better part cf m Sg t \wotaxood our attention to the sooth *-att aad fl—a—y saa_aged to land in ja*___B G-Oy «a Mr -ntew-rt'a farm, aad *Y*m**\ a po-tkra that we imagined we tit—er march t—roach er aaeailthe Saa-vt party en the—■ right flank, ln--2_es~at w*re issued to the men after Sa faS ia, and upon —it order to Sfaace we wovat_ our way over half r 1 —*1*~ ** fields, through man—_a -,—_ aa— grata I—-do—tt until we took fas Fair* 1 "" road, and Txader eo—er M thick gon ~ i—da—a had —_n——d ___aaard tor about a mile when onr aooata -Matted the land forces within 300 yards f_—i was rather a E—rpr—e, aa wa did not erf**- to me** them quit* ao soon, but wa maataaoanon tha brow of a sandhill aad _._j_ihi by manuka ectub. As the land fjtett advanced we could plainly discern ttairß_o-—B—nU. and prepared according, ___h— ag the men frcm right to left to mr«nt circ—xßves-io-_. *» were seen aa asfrwiy si——a* as we saw, and deßpite enr akKkv defence cf our pear—ion we were Sap l -- to leave the Sandhills to tha japta—lg party, and beat a hasty but i<—reat. -.-eatextant Arnold's aaa-B-B ta the left i bared a tiinilar fate, ami tail back into the acmb for protection, 0m —ai->i»T being by far too email to __eaia\ the sasault. tbb b_*bbi—aa fobcb £sv_tT de——in dai Chaser's, the oomaaeiss already men:ticoed fell in near the ta-arsy Bat and tbe m*n were eerved with mmam a—-———-»"- The ___hleers were __a-tcb*d to keep Spencer's bridge, a-St-ey did until tbe attack had _aaa_tearl itself, and they leaving it to Iks Mo—ated hifirs, supported tbe -i»ht faak of the defending tone. The bataahaa, with the exception of the Eagiaaatf. were marched by a circnitona route a**t hiUoc—a, through tu-ac—_s, a»d beside aisata-i—ts. until a pti_t in the aandhilla earn abtair-ed, which it was —ct-crpa-ed a—lit be pasted by the enemy. Colonel _gt f xp—ined the plan cf operatiaas maamg a half huKir'a halt, after which maoVaat adr—coe carried —i into opea staetd among the saadhills, where eager mjm peered for a glimpse of a blue o*p, lat wubout avail. To SB up time and ia—raes *he men, the new attack form—anaa carried ont for the first time, asd WHif—tif ancceesral. After this precaut—ts were taken to prevent a surprise, and sassta were ti-rown out from the College __—#, the whole batta_on forming four mmt, the first rank conaatu'ing the firing Baa, the areoatd rank tha support, and the Mrdand fourth _ie reserves, connecting mua were made, and the inarch began. Has agh a lad, manuka scrub, swamp and mahm a scorching sun we tramped, for ■■tt—imincable to meet our cremy aad aagaoa his nght to invade our territory. A halt was made within a few hundred jbb—.eft-i aha mdnillb road,and after the mmaama of a little pat— —cc, we were reaßSatta. Cor onr exertio—a by espying *m keg-w—hed-for ass——_—s, oa whom Bt opened a warm aad brisk fire, m w—id- there wat an equally de■bbß .aspoait. The G—u—a in the van Ankfedfro- hillock to hilkck nntU right a_—art—b hill the Ravalt were—ring tot thafcrec—ar. O—raT-pporta now enter d the aj*t'"g >iae, aad the Richmond opened fismvo—eyais half co—tpaaies, followad aaaoothm, who had extended right aad k, Sac©ess crowned our efforts, tha Bait— * aaahle to hold their gronad re_■—tdhaf—re our a—lault into the scrub aa tfca—' rear, and left us maet-rs of the asßt-lfaa. The C--__ry_ aad Mounted __-!—_ry were employed ia reoOTmortreing akagtheC-—-! Bm*n —a from Phirley, and _• Momlted bifles north wards from bb—c—y, with their left tank* on the Bottle mmmttoad. TBB BXTCBK. fht than battle dace, the oompaniet mpnaa d —cto march ing order and the htmmoa a—t—seed in axieoeasxro bitttalions tlpw-faa Randhtlra road—a march which BBlue wortt put of all. Fatigued with tr-aalring ever the k—tt, tha sand from the apiealy added to the diaeornfitmre of the Mam, who, when they reached the main ■pit fell out asd elaked their thirwt with —is thick water of the Wairn aknrui, for the BM—tcf acmsthingbetter. Chaney'a coraer -Hiwachcdm time for the train, which mtbml ia Chi-atchurch sh-rrtly after two tA—at——tt—ear—bcboo—. 'ihexn—-te-voon-tMKtac the holiday, wat a very good one, «-Mat oompaniet leneralbr executed the t——Eßgrren them wit— credit.