UNDER CANVAS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 93, 13 January 1908, Page 9

UNDER CANVAS.

'D • BATTERY "AT. THE'' HTJTT. : Some time ago tlie E Battery of New Zealand Field-. Artillery Volunteers • (Christ- , church) .-achieved,some ..distinction during the annual ; ihstructi6hal'_camp,' held near. Christ-, church,.:; their .■ firing ■ being unusually ; good. This, "coupled -with tho fact that a cliallcnge cup has"' boeri'"'presented by Jtfrs. "S. A.', Rhodes, •' 'of Wellington, for competition' among . the various, field, artillery corps throughout the Dominion, has put the gunners; drivers,"'bombardiers; "and. other essential units" of eiujh artillery .company .'on th'cir . / .'l'r : 'i . ; ■ A visit.Kas paid.-to tho camp tho other-day by .a .Dominion representative, who was curi--ous.tq noto if cxistingrecords were in danger of being eclipsed..-. .-The reporter found everybody,- from'tho captain to tho cook, as keen asV'mustard., _ This, promises well for • the class-firing which' is-to be done at Trentham towards'the-end of the encampment. ■ 'One'of the'most satisfactory features is tho. high ; average attonaanco,. record musters haying been noted. The muster roll of the corps is Id, and the .average attendance is, so far, 73. When it is remombored that some of the.men must find great difficulty'in keeping the camp and their' daily employment going at tho same time, this must bo regarded as nidst satisfactory. l During the past Week' the men --have been kept hard at work. - -The gun-laycr3 have passed;.'their specified tests,- 'and sixteen"-of thoir '-number havo qualified as first-class gunlayers.- ' The gunnel's' have been practising fuse-'settiug and gun-drill. The' 'drivers aro 'working steadily- for the harnessing competitions. ' The E.: Battery's time, fdr theso events is;2min. '20scc., and, with another-'-WC<Sk' to gb, tho local drivers have'got. down-to Smin. 20seo. : - : The specialists in ficld-skotching and range-taking, under tho supervision of Sergeant Peterson, R'.N.Z.A., .are also hard at work. Some , excellent specimens of war..department .of' tho,, corps, v.-q-ro handed to .tho' Pressman for. his inspection.. On Saturday last tho squad Mas sent out to Trentham .for oyc-3koc'chirig work.'." ~ On Wednesday ovening last Colonel Robin, Chief ..of tho .General . Staff, paid .an informal visit to the camp,. and expressed himsolf as being' -highly pleased with the general order and routine. On tho following ovening, it must bo .noted, a record muster paraded, only ono 'man being absent. camp. , b .under the- supervision of Captain Pethorick, commanding officor, and Lioutonants Glendihiiing and Humo, assisted by Regimental Sorgeant-Major Wilson, of tho W. . Artillery, Sergeant Peterson, R.NjZ.A;., Sergeant-Major . Skelly, and Quartcrmastpr-Scrgeant Gibson; There were 60 howes on Saturday, and no difficulty; 13 anticipated so far as tho supply of horse-flesh The health of all is good .on tho. whole. Thcro w..s an odd caso Or. so of tho.' peculiar epidemic which is being experienced in the Ilutt Valley at present, the symptoms of which resemble those of tho milder forms' of dysontery.' The prcsonco of numerous golf-greens in tho park somowhat hamper the mbvoments of. tho battery whou manceuvring, it being next to iqipossiblo to get a really good gallop under service conditions. r Tho. artilleryman's, day is mapped out as follows: Roveillo, 4 .-lo a.m. *, parade, o a.m.; breakfast, 6.20 a.m. Evening—Parado, 6 : 30; dismiss, 8.15; dinner,. 8.20; after dinnor,. lectures; "lights out," 10.15.