THE VICTORIA RIFLES. (From the Times.)

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XVI, Issue 1250, 9 September 1859, Page 3

THE VICTORIA RIFLES. (From the Times.)

The advantages of volunteering were exhibited yesterday in their most attactive form in a grand field-day of the Victoria Rifle Corps. Though by no means claiming the high antiquity which attache* to the Artillery Company, this really valuable body is one of the oldest of its kind, more than a quarter of a century having elapsed since it was enrolled as a rifle club. During this period, however, its existence was for along time rather of a nominal kind, and it was not till the close of 1853 that it was allowed to assemble volunteers for regular drill, and with that wonderful tact which the Government generally exhibits for malting mistakes the number of volunteers was then ordered to be limited to 300, at which strength the regiment still remains. This absurd limitation as to numbers will now doubtless be immediately abolished, and the admirable system upon which the corps has been organized allowed to develop itself to the fullest extent. The rules of this body are much the same as those of the Artillery Company, both regiments requiring at least 12 days' attendance for exercise and muster in the year, and both offering unusual facilities as to time, &c, to enable recruits to go through their preparatory drill. The uniform of the Artillery Company is scarlet, and precisely similar to that worn by the Household troops ; and, if the truth must be told, that of the Victoria Bines, though simple and handsome in the extreme, is almost equally unfitted for riflemen, being nothing more or less in its general appearance than that of the Rifle Brigade, and than this a more unsuitable dress could not be named. For skirmishing or' ambush parties — and riflemen are in tended for little more — a black uniform is about the worst that can possibly be devised. The plain fact of all riflemen being trained from the first hour to aim at the black centre of a target should teach them the disadvantages appertaining to a colour which their own experience Bhows them is one of the easiest to hit when brought into close contact with other tints. With this corps, as we hope will be the case with the regiments now in process of formation throughout the country, rifle practice is carried to perfection; mere drill, though constantly practised and strictly enforced, is very pro* perly regarded as subordinate to the importance of making each man a dead shot, and familiar with the variations of hit weapon in any weather and and at any distance. The practice-ground of the regiment at Kilburn gives the members a range of no less than 400 yards, and such practice has been made at this rather long distance that the Victoria Rifles claim to possess some of the best marksmen in the country. Though these riflemen muster on the roll to nearly 300 effective members, yet, from- various circumstances very many were prevented attending the field-day yesterday. The companies mustered at the London-bridge station, un-> d4r%he comman^of Captain Jordan, First-Lieutenants H. Bask and Greenhill, Second-Lieutenant Collins and Dickenson, and thence proceeded by rail to Balcomb, a Me beyond Beigate, one of the most picturesque of the

many charming spots upon the Brighton line. Prom I Balcomb the regiment marched through the most lovely ( sceaery to the seat of Mr. Robert Loder, at High Beeches, about three miles distant. It is scarcely necessary to state how the rural population attended in in the line of march, and the spectacle, apart from its other merits, was a decided novelty, for, strange as it may seem, it was exactly yesterday 24 years since any volunteer corps had paraded in the "open" for service drill. The enthusiasm, therefore, on behalf of the corps was warm in the extreme, and rose to such a pitch in the parish of Slaugham that on the hill which marked its boundaries the regiment was received by » deputatation of its inhabitants and presented with an address, complimenting them on their patriotism, and welcoming the corps to one of the prettiest parishes in Sussex. After this ceremony had been gone through, and duly acknowledged by Captain Jordan, the files of the regiment continued their march to High Beeches, at the entrance to the grounds of which was a small but handsome triumphal arch, and under this Mr. Loder and a numerous circle of the nobility and gentry of the county received the corps. Once arrived upon the lovely lawn, which overlooks one of the most exquisite bits of scenery in England, the rigid bonds of discipline were re--laxed, and the companies allowed to abandon themselves to the luxury of a substantial lunch, for which the march had admirably prepared every man of them. An hour was then given to rest, and to afford the gentlemen an opportunity of strolling thsough the grounds and enclosures of one of the most picturesque parks of its size in the county. A little after 2 o'clock the " assembly" sounded, and the regiment, followed by a large circle of ladies and gentlemen, marched through the grounds to an open space in High Beech Forest, where a crowd of spectators from the surrounding villages had collected to witness the evolutions. The spot selected was as favourable for testing the drill of a a Rifle Corps as could well be imagined. The ground " was well wooded, thick with gorse, and traversed in unexpected places with the remains of what had once been waggon tracks, but now resemble nothing but pitfalls. It was broken too, here and there, if not agreeably, yet at least very suddenly, with marshy spots, in whuh any but the lighest and most dexterous of infantry would infallibly have been entangled knee deep. On this ground, however, the corps went through the usual field-day evolutions of a rifle regiment, not only with precision, but with a rapidity and good order which reflected the highest credit on their training. t Under ordinary circumstances it would be unfair, otorhaps, to criticise the movements of volunteers ; butfifflb Victoria Rifle Corps can well afford to stand this tesff and if there is a fault which they require to rectify it is not so much the rapidity with which they manoeuvre as the appearance of empressement under which it is done. This is a very slight fault, and one which a couple of days' barrack drill would remove, and which, when got rid of, will place the corps on a par with any rifle regiment in the " service. The quickness with which they broke up and re-formed was admirable, and their volley firing was correct to a second. At the conclusion of the movements, which occupied upwards of an hour, and which, from the very broken and deep nature of the ground, were harassing in the extreme, the companies marched back to High Beeches. Here, upon the sloping lawn beneath the mansion, an immense marquee, long enough for a rifle gallery, and decorated throughout with garlands and evergreens, had been erected. Along the whole extent of this a double row of amply furnished tables had been laid, which accommodated not only the corps of Rifles, but an almost equal number of visitors. At the conclusion of the repast the toasts of "The Queen," "The Victoria Rifle Corps," "Captain Jordan," " Captain Norton," and, though last not least, the host, "Mr. Robert Loder," were duly given and most enthusiastically responded to. The company then aljourned to another part of the park, where a rifle target had been erected, and where at a range of 300 yards over undulating and most deceptive ground the skill of the marksmen of the corps was rigorously tested. The practice made at this distance was most admirable, especially when it is considered that the bull's eye was not three feet diameter, that all the gentlemen were fatigued, and their rifles excessively foul with the blank cartridge firing of the day. Yet, notwithstanding all these drawbacks, the shots were in all cases good, and in some excellent. During this practice the old objection which has been so often urged against the Enfield rifle as to the difficulty of loading it when foul was displayed in all its force. After the first or second shots more than one third of the gentlemen firing were obliged to retir* from the competition in consequence of being utterly unable to force their bullets down the barrels. The balls used on this occasion, however, were the old gauge — viz., 0*567. The new bullets are being made by Government to the guage of 0*550. This reduction, nevertheless, seems in practice to be still insufficient. Captain Nuthall has improved upon it by leaving the cone and bore of the ball at 0*550 guage, by hollowing out the intermediate portion so as to allow the bullet to pass down with the mere weight of the ramrod, yet expand on firing sufficiently to fill the grooves without leading the barrel. When the regulation ammunition was useless yesterday his bullets were used with ease inloading and with wonderful precision in firing. At the close of the rifle practice Captain Norton fired at a target to show the action of his shell-bullets filled with what is termed liquid fire. The experiment, which was made with a very good breech-loading rifle, by Leech, was, from some unexplained cause or another, not quite successful. At 7 o'clock the corps re-formed, and with three most enthusiastic cheers for Mr. Loder, marched through the grounds and returded to the Balcomb Btation. Everything passed off in the most pleasant and gratifying manner, and, setting all other considerations aside, we can only say that if the Victoria Rifles have field-days such as yesterday it must decidedly be the most eligible corps into which a gentleman can volunteer, and it is not likely now to be overlooked.