Eighth Day.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 1899, 3 February 1875, Page 2

Eighth Day.

(continued.) EIGHTH (SKIRMISHING) MATCH. (1.) At single (6 x2) targets; centre, 2 feet across target (2.) The competitors will be formed, by lot, into squads of equal strength^ but should any squad have a man less than the other squads the average firing of that squad will be v added to the score. (3.) Squads will fall in as skirmishers in extended order, any position, a target being opposite to each at an unknown distance. They will fire at such distances, on sound of bugle; advancing or retiring as may be directed by word of command. After ten minutes, firing will cease, when the squads will advance with the Officer in Command, and examine their targets. (4.) Squads,to come loaded to X the firing point, and will cock their rifles by word of commaud, and fire on bugle sounding one "G." (5.) Onepoint for each hit will be added to the score. (6.) Ties to be fired by the squads at an unknown distance, to be. appointed by . the Officer in Command ; five shots per man. (7.) Each squad will elect a Captain as their Representative; the prizes to be disposed of in such manner as may be determined by the winning squads. Pbizes.—The squad making the highest aggregate number of points, £15 ; the . squad making the second highest aggregate number of points, £10. The squads were as follow:—No. 1 (in charge of Major Stapp): Sutton, Gallagher, Purneil, Hamlin (captain), Ryan, Campbell, Chase, Gundry, McLean, Morley, Elder, Richardson, Wilson. No. 2 (in charge of Captain Derrom): Leigh, Gordon, Hay, Sykes, Dey, MnKee, Dundas, Mcllvride, Martella,' Thompson, , Bluck, Blotch, Goldie (captain). No. 3 (in charge of Captain Newall): Campbell, A.C., Murray (captain), Christie, Fenton, Armstrong, Skinner, Partington, Fox, Tomlinson, Renouf, Murray, A.0., Soper,

Curtis. No. 4 (in charge of Captain Derrom): Brown, Gascoigne, Bassett, Rountree, Chalkin, Burns, Munyard, Nelson, Heaphy, McLaren, Marshall, Grant (captain), Gilbert. No. 5 (in charge of Major Lusk) : Greer, Cowman, Robinson, Stohebridge, Johnson, Kirijppwell, Hoskin (captain), McKenzie, Fairbrother, McLeod, Blythe, Clarke, Collard. Major Gordon showed the men the manner and order in which they were to fire, one squad to compete at one time. Firing then comm«nced. It was occasionally very rapid, and proved rather exciting. The following are the scores of the different squads:— No. 1 Squad—Centres, 165; outers, 142; hits, 126 ; total, 433. No. 2 Squad-Centres, 174 ; outers, 112; hits/114; total, 400. , No. 3 Squad—Centres, 207 ; outers, 122 ; hits. 130; total, 459. No. 4-Squad-Centres. 122 ; outers, 128; hits, 142 ; total, 412.

No. 5 Squad—Centres, 129 ; outers, 128; hits, 107; total, 364. From the above it wil be seen that No. 3 >'quad; carried off the first prize, £15; No. 1 Squad, tecond prize of £10 A most unfortunate circumstance militated against the success of No. 5 Squad. McLeod, of the Thames, found something wrong with his rifle, and though he used every endeavour could not get it to go off during the whole of the firing in this match, hence the wretched score made by the squad of which he was a member.