THE VOLUNTEER DISPLAY AT THE THAMES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVII, Issue 5729, 29 March 1880, Page 5

THE VOLUNTEER DISPLAY AT THE THAMES.

DEPARTURE OP THE AUCKLAND ARTILLEKY. At midnight oil Saturday the A batt».ry of Artillery embarked on. hoard the steamer /fotomahana, for the Thames, to take part in the Volunteer display to-day. as well as in the church parade yesterday. The company, with two guns, mustered at the drill-shed, and, headed by their baud, marched to the wharf, under the command of Captain Payne. There were four full gun detachments, besides a number of auxiliaries. Considering the brief time allowed for making tho necessary preparations, the company mustered well, and we have no doubt th-y .will acqnit themsolvcs with credit at the review to-day. THE RECEPTION OF THE WAIKATO CAVALRY. [from our own correspondent ] Grahamstown-, Saturday night. C.ilonel Lyon, who will be the inspecting illieer, arrived last night in the s s. Vivid, iccompanied by a number of ladies. At ! o'clock to-day two carriages, occupied by Colonel and Mrs. Lyon, Captains Watson md WiMman, Mrs. Major Jackson, Mr. A. Brodio, and Mr. A. Porter, drove out to fverikeri to meet the cavalry. Major Murray, accompanied by several Volunteer jfiieers and a targe number of citizens, also :ode out. On meetiug the cavalry, Colonel Lyon left the carriage, mounted his charger, md took command of the troopers. Tho :avalry were expected to arrive about 4 p.m., but it was not until lialfanhour later that the head of the column burned into Pollen-street, at Butt's corner, where all the Thames Volunteer bands were mustered to receive them. On entering Poll-n-street a salute of big guns was fired by the Naval Brigade. The column moved slowly up Pollen-street, and through Albert-street to the Pacific corner, being repeatedly cheered on the way. A large joncourse of citizens and visitors from the Waikato aud Auckland had assembled at the Pacific corner to witness ihe reception, in arriving here the cavalry were halted and faced inwards, aud His Worship the Mayor |M>. L. Elirenfried) addressed a few words of ivelcomc to Colonel 1. yon, Major Jackson, and he whole of the Waikato Cavalry. In the :onrse of his remarks he said lie had much pleasure in welcoming them to the Thames, He was very pleased tliey had been enabled to ride through without meeting with any lifHculty or obstruction. He expressed a nope that they wi.uld have an annua] interchange of visits, find trusted the Government would hasten the con 3truction of the railway, so that the journey could be done in a few hours. He jould very safely say of them, they were :he finest cavalry Volunteera in New Zealand, and he Mt sure they would compire very favourahly with the crack regiments of the line. He tru-ted that, ina very short time, the relationship between the Waikato and Thames would be much closer than they were at present, and concluded by calling For three cheers for Colonel Lyon and the Waikato Cavalry, which were heartily given, Colonel Lyon briefly conveyed his thanks [or the hearty reception accorded to the cavalry. Major Jackson also expressed his thanks, in a few words. He stated th»y had found tho road much better than they expected, and it had given him some pleasure in proving that it was open for the passage ol troops. They bad met vrith no obstruction whatever. He then called upon the troops to give threo cheers for the Mayor ami Thames people, which were heartily re sponded to. The column then, headed by the cavalry band, marched up Brown and Owen-street to the reclaimed ground, where temporary stables had been erected for the accoramo dation of the horses. The cavalry have beer billeted at various hotels in Grabainstowi and Shortland

In the evening there was a grand pyrotechnic display by the Grahamstown Fire Brigade, in honour of the visitors. The reception throughout has been a most cordial one, and all are doing their best to make the visitors feel at home. The Kotoroaliana is expected to bring down the Auckland Artillery, andto-rnorrow there will be a general church parade of the whole of the Volunteer?, who will march to St. George's Church to attend divine service. Should the weather prove fioetlie review on Monday will certainly be a great success. ARRIVAL OP THE AUCKLAND ARTILLERY. THE CHORCH PARADE. [by telegraph, own correspondent.] Thames, Sunday. The battery of Auckland Artillery arrived about 6 o'clock this morning by the Kofcoraahana. The s.s. Coromandel also arrived from Coromandel with a number of visitors. The whole of the Volunteers present in the district mustered at 10 o'clock this morning for church parade, under command of Colonel Lynn. There must have been between eight and nine hundred men on parade, and shortly before II o'clock, the column moved off to St. George's Church, where divine service was conducted by the Rev. Mr. Lush.

'Iho town has assumed quite a military aspect, and many old soldiers are reminded of scenes in garrison towns in England. The Volunteers from Waikato and Auckland are, of course, under military orders, and their excellent behaviour is the theme of general admiration. A little rain fell last night, but at the present time there is a good prospect of tomorrow proving fine. In sending you an account of the reception to tho Waikato Cavalry yesterday, I forgot to mention that the Hauraki native?, who had j,S'eiublcd afc Shortlund to fc-ike p-irt in the tangi over the body of old Taii.ari, headed by Tvikukino, of tho Komita, accorded a very luarty welcome to tho men, and expressed great pleasure at seeing them.