OUR DEFENDERS

Observer, Volume XI, Issue 752, 27 May 1893, Page 17

OUR DEFENDERS

By NORDENFELDT,

Report of Military Sports at Fukekohe in next week's issue. "

Dr. "Watson has been elected Honorary Surgeon of the A Battery.

Some good scores "were put up last Saturday by Martini-Henry shootists. Head and Hatswell made ' the possible ' at 200 and 500 yards, respectively.

The Auckland Navals fired for their company's gold medal last Saturday, the winner turning up in P. 0., R. Mackay, Gunner D. Clarke being second.

The engineers fired for their Champion Belt last Saturday, Bergt. Harley being in charge. The result was not made known, as parades count.

A meeting of officers and others called hy Captain Miller to consider the question of a 700 yards ran^e was held on Monday night, in the Drill Shed. Ie was reported that to lengthen Mount Eden Range was impracticable, and Capts. Miller and Somers were asked to wait on Lieut. Hume, and apply for the use of the narrow neck range at North Shore. Oar shootists who have any intention of going to Sydney this year should begin at once and get as much 700 yards practice as possible.

Mr M. M. McOallum, Secretary of the Auckland Rifle Club has received a programme of the International Columbia Prize Shooting in connection with the Chicago World's Fair. The meeting is conducted by the Chicago Sharpshooters Association, and lasts from June Ist to September Ist, 1893. In all there are eight matches for which a total of $8,200 prize money is allotted. The following are the principal matches :—

£ Bullseye, . . 144 prizes . . value 240 King, ..200 „ .. „ 370 Columbia, . . 471 , 560 Stick, .. «162 „ .. „ 300 People's ..115 „ .. „ 170

What should be one of the best shooting matches of the season will be fired on fcaturday, viz., 'A' Battery v. the Garrison, 15 men aside. The Battery will have to fire every good sho,t they possess while the Garrison have a good thirty to pick from ; still I expect the Artillery team to win by 10 or 20 points. The following, are the teams:— 'A' Battery: Baddily, Browne, Buchanan, Doughty, Greenshields, Hatswell, Hazard, Head, Henderson, Hutchinson, Kearsley, McCallum, Parslow, Taylor, Webster. Garrison : Anderson, Cantell, Craig, Dormer, Ewao, T. Fairs, Soall, Osborne, Rose, Graham, Skinner, Spinley (2), Stanley, Tobin.

Major Sommerville, Chairman N.Z. Rifle Association,has issued a circular to the volunteer corps and rifle clubs of New Zealand urging shootists to do their utmost to send New Zealand reps, over to New South Wales this year. The meeting commences at Eandwick in the middle of October next, and Major Sommerville has calculated the cost of the trip as follows : Saloon return fare, £6; entries, £3 6a; board (two weeke),£3 -.sighting Bhots, 14s ; sundries, £1 ; total, £14.. The major also suggests that teams should be selected by a series of monthly competitions, Bay seven shots each at 500, 600, and 700 yards, the men highest in the aggregate to be the reps. No doubt the energetic local secretary of the New Zealand Rifle Association, Mr G. P. Taylor, will call a meeting of shootists to consider the whole question and arrange details.