GISBORNE RIFLES.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11515, 22 February 1909, Page 2

GISBORNE RIFLES.

A WEEK-END ENCAMPMENT.

A visit was paid yesterday morning by a Herald reporter the Gisborne Rifles' weels-eijd camp' at Tuamotu.i The camp is Hituated on a, picturesque flat piece of land with a •bacKground'of hills, gentle slopes a.nd .steep bluffs contrasting. Light scrub forms a protection, and hides the locality of the camp, which faces a cool blue expanse of seaV Its shores,- however j have a natuijal "(protection 'Of rough rocks, and boulders. .'■ which -"wrduld make the work of an attack from the pca•watd side a most difficult one. It had been! planned that members pf tho corps wlio could not leave jtown on ..Saturday evening until late, should form, art .attacking party oh the camp, and at 9.30 Y there .was, a fair, muster at the Kaiti Bridge, where, quite ia ■ crowd of spec- • tutors; gathered to see them off. The. company marched; along • the Wainui • road, many being : lilden with comforts that the military bill of fare did not include. When ./nearing the camp the ' different sections climbed the bills for i the attack, but. owip&, to tbe late hour and ; . there only being, about four defenders, who liad gone out early m the evening and- had had? all the hard work of erecting the tents, Captain' Beere gave the signal for Y.ths men *to come into camp. At 6,30 7on Sunday morning "Rouse" -Was sounded pat 6.45 a parade took place, and it was found that the muster wa^ a" 'very fair one. The welcome signal for breakfast rang out at 8 o'clock; the early rising and sea air had given the: men keen 'appetite., and they were allowed übitil 9.00, when a parade again took place. 'The. company was divided ' into three sections, No. 1 being under the charge of' Sergeant Rait. No. 2 under Sergeant Breigan,v.arid ;NO. .3 under Sergeant Taylor. ~ • Three targets were then set np- on Tuamotu Island, and also a large one on the mainland. Under \he fiupe|3ssioil of Captain Beere. and Lieut. Coleman they sergeants took their sections f oro'ffeld firing to various localities, each section having its own target. Tlie. ' poiilniand^r" of the section set the range". -Aftei' 'two and a half hours' useful practice the order to cease firing was given, Yapd* the. men Ayalkted over tbe boulder s : to the' 'Island, where they examined their work at the'^ targets. Numerous bull's eyes had been niade, and- Captain 'Beere -expressed the opinion that, the enemy had lmd a warm time of it. /'The temporary' targets .'we're much knocked about; and there was much speculation as whp had done the be^t work. A return was made to icamp at^llk^oy, wlien dihnei' Xvas welcomed, this department . being m the* capable hands of Quartermaster Sergeant WilliiunsY An alarm was given during din 1 ncr hour, and the' men were all' ready for defence. in less than a minute. At 2 o'clock parade was held, ana* the sections received useful instructions mi

picket duty by Captain Beere and Lieutenant Coleman. At 2.45 the order to dismiss was given. A number of members of the corps devoted their spare moments practising^ oalling with flags. j Captain Beere told B) members of the company that they fould go for a swim, or otherwise spend their time until 3.45, but if any of them liked to stay behind he. would give them a short address, and it must have been very gratifying to the Captain wlien all enthusiastically decided to remain. Captain Beere then gave a very interesting address, and judging by the intelligent questions asked by members, the instructions were greatly appreciated. Captain Beere m the course of his remarks said that if the men desired, he would during the winter months instruct them m engineering, bridgemakirig, and splicing. At 3.45 parade was again held, and with good, systematic - order the tents were lowered and rolled > up, and the company left at 4,- arriving m town about p o'clock having thoroughly enjoyed the outing, tKe success of which was greatly due to Captain Beere and Lieutenant Coleman for . their energetic work. ; -. oo ■: v . .