THE SOUTH CANTERBURY CAMP.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 12478, 14 April 1906, Page 11

THE SOUTH CANTERBURY CAMP.

The various corps attached to the South OtonAorfctwy Battalion went into oamp at Fairiie on Thuredby night, or rafcSioir on Good Friday morning, for it waa 1 before the oamp waa reached. The parad© state of tbe rariouii oorps then totalled 244, there being n fair mimibar of infaautTy, hut a very poor Attendance of mounted men, one corps, tho Soutii Canterbury Mounte' Rifles, being reprcßoretod by on* m*ai ber. On their arrival tire men wet supplied wiftJh hot coffee, and as a liberp supply of straw had been distribute among the seventy tertte, in which th troops are accommodated, they wor soon wfMVn and ooinfortteblo. It wa. after 3 a.m. before the camp devote itself to sleep, and rovoillo sounded c 6 o'clook ehwT_> oa Friday morning. Thx> mm, however, cheerfully face tho prospect of a tang dby on otrtaw duty after so sbort> a rem, and at abw 10 o'dtoek on Good Frfttoy nwraing ti mounted troop?, undor Major Hayh or* left the c&ap for the soatbwaitd. Tha.

), insbruobions wehs to try and effect an attack on the camp it&gtf, the infantry > foroas, under Colonel Mackenzie, folt. lowing latter. By noon the mounted ftion Had so strong a position in. a nar- \- t*nt ravine to tfl« south-west of the I. camp t&At it tvould be impossible far inf - fanta-y bo dislodge them, but as the foot » farces were between th* mount* ked men and tihe ca-pjp, th* &i>i*c]d_k J s JniUinitSoii) ocr.ild licit j" be caitrifid put, and the mea were !* recalled to the camp. 'Phe country ail ," round btotf camp is admirably suited for tactical mawßnvTes, embracing every l ~ j class cf country Hkely to be met ftTith in "' actual n&rrow ravines, c mountain pafsee, nvei«, and open ootins try. The camp itself is situated about y three-qiiarters of a mile to the west of B the township of Fairlie, on Mr Robert estate, and it is in a petition eminently suitable to the requirements of a vtriuhteor encampment. j The following is a statement of the paraie gbft»hgrih:—Brigade staff, Lieut.Col. Mackenzie, O.C. camp, Captain McGee, A.A.G., and two esrgeante majcu's; umpites' staff. Col. Jowsey, Captains Richardson, Jackson, and Cut- . 8. Infantry Battalion: j Staff, 4 officers, 1 non-com., and 5 men; Timaru IL&es, 2 offiearfc, 23 men; Te- \ muka Rifles, 2 officers, ll men: Asha, burton Rifles, 3 officers, 30 men; Timaru l City Rifles, 1 officer, 25 men; TimAni I Part Guards, i officer, 17 men; Waij mate H.fles, 1 officer, 11 men; GeraJdine , Rifles, 2 officers, 19 men; AsbbUrbon , Guards, 3 officers. 23 mefl; Battalion j Band, 1 officer, 8 men; imfiaintry total, : 188. Mounted Batitalion: Staff, major, t quarfcerniaster, aiid 1 nom-com.; Geraldine M.R., 2 offioars, 11 men; Maokeni- - sic M.R., 1 officer, 4 men; Btudllolm© ■ M.R., 2 officers. 3 mem; total mounted, i 28. E Battery: 1 o&eet, 12 men; Peri ihanent Artillery, 9. Grand total, 244- ---> About 40 infantry members joined tihe • camp yesterday, and these are nob in- ■ . otaded in the above total. I While the horses were being af- ■ tached to a gun by the E Battery yes- ■ terday morning, one of them bo4ted ■ and threw his rider into a barbed Wire • fence. The trooper sustained some : painful cuts. Surgeon-Captain Cook : attended to the mams injuries. There was a very severe frost at ' Fairlie yesterday morning—a frost moh as does not conduce to pleasure in oamp • life, and when the volunteers turned 1 out they found everything froueni. The ' muster of the Ashburton men " at camp has earned some warm praise - for them, especially considering thai, ' they had the longest distance of any ■ cordis to travel. ; ' To prevent the possibility ot accidents during the ball field ' firing, instructions have been issued ' j that firing is to o&a£e immediately on I any person getting within an ang» of forty degrees of the tine of fitffe. i Tfe oamp Quftrtefbiahtef-Sergeanifc is Quartermaster. Talbot., of the. Slacken* ' zie Mounted Rifles, mftd to him must be given the credit for the excellent ' oommissairiat airangemente. To-day those in camp will l>e ooodpied in field firing, the targets being plaoed in positioni not fcn<Wn to the troops, Attd , fired a* from unknown ranged. Tire conditions will be similar to ihftSe of '' actnal warfare, barring the trifling ex--1 ceptions that (he targets o.tn»ot returtfi ' fire, and will wait wliild they are shot ' I at. Tlie pfogrfttmno for to-morrow in*- ' eludes o pnnade for Divine service at 1 2.30 p.m. Th« men in camp seem to take ftfl i»teT«rt in their work, and their ', behflviotii* «o f«»r has been fIM thaitoonld be desired. The c*mp will be brolfeoi i tip at noon on Monday.