THE EASTER ENCAMPMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 8221, 4 April 1890, Page 6

THE EASTER ENCAMPMENT.

The Auckland Volunteers mustered at the drillshed last night in heavy marching order, to proceed to camp near Fort Takapuna, where the fatigue parties who went out in the early morning had tents pitched and arrangements made for the men. (Quite a large crowd assembled round the drillshed to'see the preparations and the march out. The companies on parade were the A and O Batteries, the Engineers, the Auckland and Ponsonby Navals, and the infantry companies, the Victorias, City Guards, Newton Rifles, and Royal Irish. All things considered there were good musters, the Engineers being especially prominent in this respect, but as numbers of members were unable to join their companies last night who will be on parade this morning, it is as well to defer the parade state until this morning. The gathering at the shed was an interesting one. The company officers were fully occupied in making preparations for a start, and volunteers in uniform loaded with blankets and swags rolled in up to the last moment. The first to move out was the "A" Battery with their four Armstrong guns. These were well horsed by teams from Winstone'e stables, and as they moved off from the Shed the band, under Bandmaster Hunter, struck up a lively quickstep march, and tho other troops followed in fours. The transhipment at the wharf was excellent. The ferry steamer Britannia was in readiness. The guns were got on board in excellent order, and then the troops were marched on board, the gun carriages and baggage forming the last of the shipment. Nothing could have been better than the care and discipline shown bv the " A " in the shipment of the guns. Lieutenant-Colonel Shepherd superintended the whole transportation. On arrival at the North Shore no time was lost in moving off to the camp, where the men settled down comfortably in their tents _ after euards had been mounted and sentries set. About 200 volunteers proceeded to the camp last night, but this number will be largely supplemented by those who will go on duty this morning.