Gossip Volunteer

Observer, Volume 9, Issue 529, 9 February 1889, Page 12

Gossip Volunteer

By Rifleman.

A NEW ZEALAND COLONIST WITH STANLEY. Novr that the attention of the whole civilised world is centred on the movements of Stanley on the * Dark Continent,' it may be of interest to our readers to kiiow that a New Zealand colonist accompanies the great explorer. Lieut. W. E. Stairs was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, about twenty-six years ago. After successfully completing his studies at Dalhousie College he entered the Boyal Canadian Military College at Kingston, Ontario, passing his examination with _ high honours, and was entitled to a commission in tlie highest branch of the Imperial Service, viz., the Boyal Engineers. While waiting for his appointment he came to New Zealand, and subsequently spent three years witli Mr Walter Hallett's survey party in Hawke's Bay. He proceeded to Wellington to pass his examination as a Civil Engineer, and when there received a cable message annoiincing his appointment, and requesting him to proceed to Chatham. When the African expedition was being formed, the War Office allowed Stanley to select two officers to accompany him. Major Bartelott was the senior. For the position of junior there were over 250 applicants, but the subject of our sketch, was chosen. No doubt his experience of three years in the New Zealand bush was not least among his many qualifications. Major Bartelott being dead, Lieut. Stairs is now in command of the expedition. Lieut. Stairs, being possessed of a splendid physique and a most genial manner, has no doubt been of special assistance to Stanley. He was an old school chum of Mr D. H. Boss, of this city. — According to recent computation, the New Zealand Government can call to arms no less than 100,000 men. — The final competition for the Hobson Eifle Belt took place last Saturday, when Sergeant Cantnell topped the list. — The next meeting of the Xew Zealand Bifle Association will shortly take place, and our local marksmen are getting into form. — The Thames Navals will experience some difficulty in complying with the new regulations so far as gun drill is concerned, as they have no big guns on issue. — According to a recent statement raade hj General Maitland, a Long-ridge wire gun made at Woolwich, has thrown a shot 12^ miles, with an initial velocity of 2300 ft per second. — Captain Little, who took part in the final competition for Lieut Connolly's Belt, very generously threw away his last shot so as to allow Sergeant Cantnell to receive the honour of winning. — Sergeant-Major Ilaultain is, I am given to understand, about to sever his connection with the O Battery, as he has been offered a commission in another company. A commission is a big temptation. — If the local volunteers intend agitating for an encampment this year, it is high time someone sot the ball rolling. There was no encampment last Easter, and the Auckland men may fairly claim one. — I am inclined to think that if the whole of the Naval Volunteers in New Zealand were to unite and make rexaresentation through the proper quarter, the Home Government would give them a gunboat to practice in. — I noticed in a daily paper that the officer commanding the Ponsonby Navals signed himself ;D. Millar, Captain Commanding.' Of course he had no right to do so under the new regulations, but I suppose it was force of habit. — Tf volunteering is to make any headway, the Government must first set their faces against the formation of rifle clubs, and unless this is done, then volunteer corps are doomed. The onlything that keeps companies together is the shooting, and a man gets all this in a rifle club. — The O Battery is recruiting just now, and young men desirous of joining the volunteer force could not do better than cast in their lot with this corps. New life seems to have been infused into this battery, and if the officers ai'e ■worth anything at all they should keep it together. — A Danish officer, Captain Holstein, has invented a portable bullet-proof shield for two soldiers. It may be easily carried and fixed, and the men can then coolly blaze away from behind, either with rifles or a machine gun, without being picked off by anything les3 penetrating than a cannon ball. — It is understood that the members of the Scottish Bines have applied to the ' Government for a copy of the evidence taken before the Board appointed to consider the shooting in the volley and independent firing, and the report of the Board thereon. A letter lias been received from the Defence Office intimating that the Board had recommended the upholding of the disqualification of the Company. — France has no Wimbledon ; but she has an annual shooting competition open to amateurs, which may bo said to take the place of our more developed marksmen's meeting (said a London p'eper). The French certainly do the thing very differently, for the 10-10 marksmen who recently competed for the championship of France shot at the targets, not at one general meeting place, but all over the country ; no less than ninetynine different ranges have been used altogether. This multiplicity of targets makes the competition very ' fluky ' of course, as so much depends on local conditions of light, range, &c. The best shot, however, seems to have won — M. Renault, a Frenchman aettled in Batna, in Algeria, who made 239 points, placing all his shotsjwithin a short distance of the bull's eye.