THE FORTHCOMING INTER-PROVINCIAL RIFLE MATCH. [communicated.]

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIV, Issue 3358, 21 April 1868, Page 2

THE FORTHCOMING INTER-PRO-VINCIAL RIFLE MATCH. [communicated.]

The match which has been arranged to come off today between the Auckland Rifle Voluuteers and the Dunedia Scottish Company will no doubt cause a good deal of excitement in the minds of all the Volunteers in Auckland, and more or less throughout the colony. The different competitots have often had occasion indirectly, through the Government prizes which are fired for annually, to try their prowess through the medium of chosen representatives, but never before, at least to oar knowledge, have they agreed to contest a match by what may be fairly considered the capabilities of each corps— namely, 10 selected members. The Dunedia Volunteers have for a long time pasb been looked upon as equal to our Auckland men both in general efficiency as Volunteers and for their pre* oision in firing. Bat latterly the Auckland Volunteers appear to have lost their ardour in the move* ment-, whilst on the other hand the Otago Volunteers have steadily advanced, and the consequence is that Auckland has been stripped of her laurels by Otago at the last two annual prize-firing meetings. Nor does this appear to be the end of the black score, for at the coming competition, which was delayed in ordir to be witnessed by his Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, the Auckland Volunteers will not have a single representative. We hope th« Voluntee s will nob be displeased with us for bringing up again these rather disagreeable facts, for we can assure them our only motive for doing so is to excite them to greater activity. There is no doubt but that they have a great difficulty to contend with in consequence of the butts being placed by the Government at so great a distance from the town, bat still we think more energy might have been displayed than has really been shown. It will be remembered that some months ago private Hazard, of the Auckland Volunteers, was challenged by private Sly, of the Ounedin Scottish Company, to fire a match. Hazard accepted the challenge, and beat his opponent by several points, but the Otago Rifles professed to be indignant at the presumption of Sly challenging one of our best men, and protested that Sly had not received their sanction to fire the match, being looked upon by his company as an inferior shot. This circumstance was the cause of the present match. The Otago Rifles sent a challenge to the Aucklapd Volunteers to contest a friendly match of ten men a-side, which was accepted, and a day appointed— eich "team" to fire on their own ground. Major Trghe, we believe, is appointed to watch the firing of the Auckland Volunteers on behalf of the Otago Rifles, and the Auckland Volunteers have appointed an officer to look after their interests at Otago. The match is one of no small importance, and if the weather proves at all favourable there will probably be a large number of spectators from Auckland *nd neighbourhood assembled at the butts to witness thenriug;of the Auckland "team." This is ouly what may reasonably be expected from the Auckland public, for it is their bounden duty to show some interest in tbe Volunteer movement. The following gentlemen we believe will compose the Auckland team, but it it not yet definitely settled : — Messrs. A. and R. Morrow, Williamson, Soal, Hazard, Skinner, Robinson, Hay (solicitor), Carpenter, and R. Duff.

' Mr*. Margaret Carr, of Pittsbarg, Pennsylvania, bought a black cat for the purpose of taking three drops of blood from it to be administered to » grandchill suffering from croup, 'thereupon her neigh* bours raised a tumult, charging her with witchcraft, and she was obliged to call upon the authorities for protection. Mr. William Owens, her lawyer, brought twenty witnesses to prove that the child recovered the moment the-' dose was adatiniifcered.