H.—9

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Alexandra Cαvalet (Wanganui). —16th September, 1892. Present: 1 captain, 2 lieutenants, 4 sergeants, and 46 rank and file. Absent: 6 rank and file. Uniform. —Hussar uniform ; white helmets, with red plume ; in good order. Arms and Accoutrements. —Cavalry carbine and sword; brown belts and buckets. Not uniformly well turned out, recruits not having their accoutrements properly cleaned. Officers. —Captain J. P. Watt: A painstaking officer; has been in command one training ; only wants practice. Lieutenant James Higgie: A good officer. Lieutenant E. Higgie : Eecently appointed; wants practice. Horses. —A good stamp generally. Biding. —Good. Drill. —The mounted work was well done as a rule, but the work was generally too slow in execution. Pursuing practice fairly done. Sword-exercise indifferently done, in both cases at the halt. Words of command were frequently inaccurate. The dismounted work was at the best moderate. I consider that in officers, non-commissioned officers, men, horses, and in esprit de corps we have all that is required to develop an extremely good and useful body, and I am well satisfied with the inspection, believing that the next training will do much in the way of bringing out energy which has up to now been rather in the background. Besides the annual training, the corps assembles for drill once a quarter. Major Sommerville and Captain Lomax attended me on parade. Wanganui Naval Artillery.—l9th September, 1892. Present: 2 lieutenants, 1 chief petty officer, 4 petty officers, and 51 gunners. Absent: 1 captain and 8 gunners. Uniform. —In good order. Arms and Accoutrements. —Snider artillery carbine and sword-bayonet; brown belts. In good order, but two men were without sword-bayonets and one man without a carbine. Officers. —Captain Clapham : Absent on leave from Defence Office. Lieutenant Neill: A good officer, who has been in temporary command for the last six months, and done very well. Lieut. Eussell: A good, keen, energetic officer. Drill. —This corps was drilled by Lieutenants Neill and Eussell, Chief Petty Officer Dustin, and First-class Petty Officers McLean and Bevedge. The work was, on the whole, well done, the officers and Second-class Petty Officer McLean showing that they had given much attention, with excellent results, to their work. I was informed that the other petty officers were very valuable men in the corps. A physical-drill squad did well, as did also an ambulance squad, under Petty Officer Bevedge. These men had been instructed by Hon. Surgeon Saunders, who was present on parade. Of artillery work this corps knows nothing. No instruction has been given in this work for some considerable time. One 6-pr. E.B.L. gun is in charge, from which practice is carried on; but this cannot be of any possible good. In other particulars the corps is in a very good state. Battalion Pabade, Wanganui.—l7th September, 1892. Present : Wanganui Navals, 62; Wanganui Eifles, 50; Albert Biftes, 31; cadet corps, 45; band, 20. Absent: Wanganui Navals, 5 ; Wanganui Eifles, 15 ; Albert Eifles, 21; cadet corps, 18. A very good turn-out of 208 of all ranks, out of a possible total of 267, only marred by the absentees of the Albert Eifles, those of the cadet corps not having returned from their holidays. The men were all round very clean and creditable in their appearance. The battalion drill, under Lieutenant-Colonel Newall, was very well done by all corps except the Albert Eifles; but I regret that, owing to the fewness of daylight parades, the attack was not sufficiently well known for me to see it done. Captain Willis, Albert Eifles ; Captain Watt, Wanganui Eifles; Captain Atkinson, cadet corps; and Lieutenants Neill and Eussell, Naval Artillery, all drilled the battalion, each doing his work well, excepting Captain Willis. The band was well turned out, every member being present. Wanganui Collegiate School Cadets.—l9th September, 1892. Present: 1 captain, 2 lieutenants, 5 sergeants, and 39 rank and file. Absent: 16 rank and file. Uniform. —Eed serge frocks ; Glengarry caps; old. Arms and Accoutrements. —Snider artillery carbine and bayonet; brown belts; all in good order, but belts old and in some cases unserviceable. Officers. —Captain Atkinson: A very good officer. Lieutenant Willis : Keen, and anxious to improve. Lieutenant Atkinson : Keen, and anxious to improve. Cadets. —A smart, well-set-up body of lads. Drill.- —The drill was exceptionally good. The cadets were very steady in the ranks, and I have much pleasure in reporting most favourably on this corps, which is officered and altogether worked by the boys themselves. I discovered that the sum of £5 per term, or £15 per annum, out of the Government grant of £20, was being paid to Sergeant-Major McMillan for instruction, leaving only £5 per annum for uniforms, &c. This will account for the uniform not being as good as it ought to have been. I have taken steps to insure that no such payment will in future be made to the sergeant-instructor.