PORT DEFENCES AND OUR VOLUNTEERS.

Otago Witness, Issue 664, 20 August 1864, Page 18

PORT DEFENCES AND OUR VOLUNTEERS.

It is very Batirfactory to see that this subject is receiving a share of public attention, and 1 read the article in \our paper this morning with a great deal of pleasure indeed. It is not a day too soon, for every hour that runs by makes the danger oil the more imtnineut. It is highly, necessary that the Volunteering, spirit be stirred up iv the town and neighboring; fiistrict. lam sorry to say that at present it iv in a verj languid, indeed, almost moribund condition. There is something wanted to infuse life and animation into the whole movement. The attendance at drill is becoming less every week, and the more enthusiastic members among the various corps, are losing heart, and resignation ia frequently mooted. No doubt a good deal of this i» owing to the weather, which prevents all outdoor drill, and men soon get wearied of the room. A. little is nlso due to the want of arms, which are not in sufficient number ; and on the part of the Artillery and Naval Brigade, which corps have only awooden model to work with, the -whole thing looks too like child's-play to be recognised as part of the stem training requisite to make a> soldier.

But what is really wanted is that the Volunteer principle should become wide-spread, universal in fact. We maintain that every man in. the colony should be a volunteer ; that is to Bay that every man between the ages of 20 and 41) ought to be able to handle a rifla, to bad rapidly and shoot correctly, and to' know sufficient of the light infantry drill as to be able to turn out armed and take up lfis position at the sound of the bugle, ready for any movement of attack or defence ; or to run to his battery and gun, have her loaded and run out,, ready to take good aim at any advancing foe. A. population such a3 this, witfa proper works, and under proper command, would be,-ift a word, impregnable. But to bring them into" this state will take a very long time indeed, as things are going oa at present. For that matter, lam afraid that nothing short of the actual occurrence of the c damity we so much dread will awaken the people out of their present state of apathy or torpor towards the defence of our hearths and homes from tha ravages and spoliation of an audacious enemy. There are plenty of brave men among us, men with the heart to dare and the hand to do • but bravery is nothing without system, without oreanisa'ion. Were the occasion really to arise, I have not the slightest doubt plenty of men would be had. It is very well to wieerat the movement, or to pat it on the back with faint praise : or even, as some wili say, " Oh, your first line of defence would be the back of Flagstaff !" If the time should ever arise, oor Volunteers will bethe men to be found iv the front rank, and the first to occupy the post of houor, that *here there ia the greatest danger. But God forbid the time should ever come.

On taking a look at the district in which Dunedin is situated, there seems very little probability of an attack being ever made upon it. from any other quarter than the harbor. To the noru» of the town, over towards Blueskin and Purakanui Bays, a force might be landed • but beyond destroying a few settlers' houses or the like, nothing else could be done. No force, unless it were very strong, in fact on army, would ever attempt to march on Ifunedin. Nearly all the country between is covered by bush which soldiers could never penetrate. The road Could be defended by a small number of men and two or three light guns against any force, at several points. All along the south and east ye are welj protected by the heavy surf which always break* on the coast, from any landing of forces- Nodoubt, we have the example of Sir Ralph Abercrombie at Alexandria, where the British forces landed from boats on the beach, formed and drove the French troops over a range of Bandhills, which may be supposed to somewhat resemble those of Otago; but the surf of the> Mediterranean is not the surf of the Pacific, and we may consider ourselves pretty safe from any attempt oa that side.

It follows, therefore, that all our efforts at defence will have to be directed to keeping an enemy out of our harbor; and our military authorities ought to examine the locality in order to the drawing up of some well arranged plan of defence, by which the various corps, detachments, contingents, or whatever they may be named,, may at once be able to commence a course of drill, having such an object in view. Above all, no time ought to lost in procuring a liberal supply of arms and ammunition, for both artillery and riflemen, and cutlasses and carbines for the Naval Brigade, as well as the organization of boats' crews for services oa various parts of the harbor. Night attaoks, boat attacks, and every sort of movement that would enablethe mpn to know each other, end work with and depend on each other, should alsobe adopted. The Pilot staff at the Heads could also be made into a powerful adjunct to a Defence Force ; from their intimate local knowledge they would form an admirable corps for the works in the lower harbor. Prom Port Chalmers could be drawn a very strong contingent for the Naval Brigade, a largo proportion of whom would likely be men who know their drill well, having learnt it on board ship. So that oa the whole, we need not fear for men; if the Government oaly send us plenty guns, powder and shot, the rest is easy If we are well led. Let the Government erect the> works, and find the necessary armament, and men will be found to man them, and should thft time ever arise, make the proper use of them. Pakeha. 11th August, 188*.

A Naw Reading of an Old Proverb — While a slater at Perth was plying his vocation the other day on the top of a house in that neighborhood, a garrulous female took occasion to> lecture him for choosing such a dangerous trade adding that the least puff of wind might sond hin£ unprepared into eternity. "Oh ! but do you not ken, gudewife," quoth he of the house-top "that I am fulfilling the Scriptures?"—" Fulfilling theScriptures, James i that's impossible, for there* no ac word o' a slater in the Bible that e'er I read or heard o\" — " lam nevertheless right, though, was the reply; " did ye never read in the Bible, that it is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop than with a brawling woman in a widt house 1"

A Philosophical Sexton.— A Sexton in Lancashire was lately asked how trade was with him*. He replied that it was ' Varra bad— nowt doin' hardly.'—' Well, thee sees,' answered the sejrton, poverty seldom dcci. There's far more kilt wi o'er-hettin* an' o'er-drinkinV nor there is w bein' pinched.'