BACK FROM BISLEY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 9 November 1927, Page 9

BACK FROM BISLEY

AN AUSTRALIAN’S IMPRESSIONS

SEA BOOTS AND RUBBER SUITS

(By, Toloeraph—Special to “l’ho Mail”)

AUCKLAND, This Day. “I have been to Bislev after the King’s Prize, and as none of your riflemen were there von may be interested in a little of what 1 can tell you?” The speaker was Mr W. J. Burton, better known as “Billy” Burton, a lithe little man from Sydney .who is returning by the Niagara after visiting the land of his birth. “Tell your men,” lie, added, “that if they go to Bislcy they will need to wear sea boots, rubber suits, and son - westers. In four shoots I had to have four changes and four hot baths. The Englishmen were properly equipped, and they went through like sailors in a storm.” , Other differences in conditions at Bisley as compared with those in Australia were mentioned by Mr Burton. “They use the short ride; we use the long. They use the single arm sling; we use Jtlie double. They use the high-velocity pointed bullet; we use the snub-nosed bullet. The trajectory of their bullet is straight; ours has a'curve.” The yisdlor said ho advised anyone going fittw here should spend a considerable time practising under English conditions, or, as lie put it, “learning the game over again.” On the day of the King’s Prize the weather conditions were in favour of the sou’ westers. Mr Burton was drawn to shoot early in the morning, and ho did so in drenching rain. His score was 95, one less than that of those who got into the next round of shooting. Last year tho “92’s” got into the second stage. In all half a dozen riflemen went from Australia for the big event, each at his own expense. In his early days in England Mr Burton was a crack cycle racer, and on this trip he had the pleasure of donating a silver cup for competition in his old chib. “BILLY” AND HIS “PALS”

The visitor is not without a sense-of humour. It was costing him about £4 a day for practising, be said, until he met General Deane, an Australian, who asked some of Ins friends to let “Billy” shoot with them. “I got on fine tlien,” he added, “and found my pals real sports. On my left was a chap they called “Lang,” arid on my right one called “Cottie.” When I got on to the, range I would give one or the other a dig in the ribs, and say, “What do you think of that, old sport?” They bucked me up quite a lot, but when it was all over I felt a bit smaller than I look when some of the others told me that the man on my left was Sir Langford Lloyd and the one on my right the Earl of Cottesloe. Anyhow, they called me ‘Billy,’ so I suppose that’s fair.”