5

H.—l2

Wanganui. —l7th January, 1887 : Present, 276; absent, 21. Though there were 21 absentees, few were in the district and not sick, who were absent —only one or two. Last year the attendance, especially of the Cavalry, was indifferent;. but this was entirely altered this year, and a great improvement in all respects is perceptible. The battalion movements were above average, and the bayonet practice excellent. The Cavalry are a fine troop, but, I understand, comprise an unusually large number of recruits. Their horses, however, are very good. Feilding. —lBth January, 1887 : Present, 179; absent, 10. This inspection was of four corps, three of Rifles and one of Cavalry. Almost every man not absent on leave, or sick, was present; I believe every man, in some of the corps, who was on the rolls. The rifle corps of Feilding and Palmerston drilled better than last year. The Marton corps had kept up its high character. The Eangitikei Cavalry has made a surprising improvement. Wairarapa-Greytoion. —19th March, 1887: Present, 170; absent, 46. These Volunteers I could not inspect last year. On this occasion the attendance as a whole was not what I could have wished. A Native corps paraded which is quite equal to the European ones in drill. As the several corps so seldom meet it is hard for them to do battalion drill with much exactitude. They are, however, at home with their weapons, and do the manual, firing, and bayonet drill very well. I think another year the whole will have practised battalion drill more since they attended the camp and have seen other corps.

Return showing Distribution of Ordnance in New Zealand to 31st March, 1887.

Eemabks. —The L, M, N, and 0 Batteries have no field-guns on issue to them. Nelson Napier, Onehunga, Ponsonby, and Devonport Naval Artillery have no ordnance on issue to them.

Fifxd Guns. Garbtson Guns. H'c: Gi [KISS rNS. Corps. I b I Q I Q] E.B.L. I ti a o I m -g-S §1 aw o S pq S I ■4 a S o .3 J.MX ! o Pi I, . o i it Si o a Smi )ot'n-' gffl o a >ore. I o s 1 I H O q g •8 a o a ! i | H ai • A Battery, Auckland B „ Dunedin .. C „ Timaru I) „ Wellington E „ Ghristchurch F „ Napier G „ Invercargill H „ Nelson I „ Oamaru J „ Gisborne .. L „ Port Chalmers M „ Queenstown N „ Lyttelton 0 „ Auckland 3 -2 3 3 3 2 3 2 2 2 i 2 1 Naval Artillery. Auckland Thames Wellington Petone .. Greymouth Westport Lyttelton Timaru Oamaru Port Chalmers Dunedin Bluff .. .. ;. Wanganui Peninsula Hawera Rifles 1 1 2 i 1 1 1 1 1 i 2 2 2 2 'l i i Garrison Permanent Artillery. Wellington Auckland Dunedin Lyttelton Torpedo Corps, Wellington .. S.s. " Hinemoa " In Store 2 3 3 3 2 3 3 3 2 ' i 1 1 1 1 9 1 Totals 1 6 6 10 7 3 11 8 7 3 11 2 1 1 11