15

H.—l9.

EEPOET ON WOEK DONE BY THE DEFENCE FOECES DUEING EASTEE ENCAMPMENTS, 1895. I have the honour to report as follows on the work done by the Defence Forces at the camps held during Easter holidays, 1895 : — Camps were organized, in the Auckland, Wellington, Canterbury, Otago, and Nelson Districts. In the Auckland District there was one camp, at Devonport, in which camp the whole Force of the district was ordered to assemble. In the Wellington District there were four separate camps:—(A.) At Mahanga Bay, under Major Messenger, Permanent Artillery, in which camp were assembled all the available Permanent Artillery and the men of the Wellington and Petone Naval Artillery affiliated to the working of the heavy guns. (A 2.) At Shelly Bay, also under command of Major Messenger, in which the available men of the Torpedo' Corps and the men of the Petone Naval Artillery affiliated to submarine-mining work were assembled. (B.) At Feilding, where the whole of the cavalry, mounted infantry, infantry, and naval artillery not affiliated to the heavy guns were assembled. The four Nelson corps, under Lieut.-Colonel Pitt, V.D., commanding the Nelson District, were also ordered to this camp, and, as Lieut.-Colonel Pitt, V.D., is senior to Lieut.-Colonel Newall, the command of the Force devolved on him. (C.) At Island Bay, where the D Battery was ordered to carry out a course of practice. In the Canterbury District there were two camps:—(A.) At the forts protecting Lyttelton Harbour, where the available Permanent Artillery, Submarine Mining Corps, Lyttelton Naval Artillery, and N Battery Garrison Artillery were assembled, under Major Sir A. P. Douglas, Bart., Permanent Artillery. (B.) At Kaituna, where the whole of the cavalry, mounted rifles, field artillery, infantry, and naval artillery corps not affiliated to the heavy guns, and the engineer company were assembled, under Lieut.-Colonel Gordon, commanding the district. In the Otago District there were four camps :—(A.) At Taiaroa Heads, where the Permanent Artillery, Torpedo Corps, and Dunedin and Port Chalmers Naval Artillery were assembled, under Captain Morrison, Permanent Artillery. (B.) At Waitati, where the naval artillery not affiliated to the heavy guns, the engineer company, and the infantry companies were assembled, under command of Major Callan. (82.) At Waikouaiti, where the Otago Hussars and North Otago Mounted Eifles were assembled, under Captain Chaffy, North Otago Mounted Eifles. (C.) At Warrington, where three batteries of field artillery were assembled for practice, under Captain Eice. In the Nelson District, at Greymouth, where the Westland corps were assembled, under Lieut.-Colonel Bonar, V.D. The numbers assembled in these various camps were :■ —

Note. —The Thames Naval Artillery, the Te Awamutu, Waiuku, and Marlborough Mounted Rifle Companies, the Blenheim and Blenheim City Rifles, and the P and H Batteries were not ordered to camp The strength of these corps is not included. Three companies—the Riversdale, East Taieri, and Naseby—did not attend the camp, and one—the Kaitangata—was represented by seven men. All corps ordered to attend camp were warned that unless half the minimum strength attended the corps would be disbanded.

'resent in Camp. Absent. 'otal. Perr E. lanent >rce. Vol' F( mteer irce. Perm; Foi anentl Vol' rce. Fi mteer Permanent Force. Volunteer Force. irce. District. Camp. 03 U O) CD ■& o a' © 03 95 CD CD sa o a © CO CD a o © S3 5-( CD CJ se o a © 03 CD ° a sa | 03 N CD O o a © Auckland... Devonport 44 28 392 157 44 31 549 Wellington j Mahanga Bay 1 Shelly Bay ... Feilding Island Bay ... 1 1 6 30 30 15 1 3 2 55 1 49 18 803 41 51 46 284 12 1 1 6 30 30 15 1 3 3 62 1 100 64 1,087 53 "i 7 Total 8 76 61 911 393 76 69 1,304 Janterbury Lyttelton Harbour Kaituna 1 2 20 3 2 38 63 495 1 3 34 366 1 2 20 3 3 41 97 861 Total 23 40 558 400 23 44 958 Otago Taiaroa Heads Waitati Waikouaiti ... Warrington ... 1 2 30 6 6 28 6 6 54 399 76 70 13 90 421 48 88 1 2 30 6 6 41 6 8 144 820 124 158 "i 2 "i Total 37 46 599 15 647 3 37 61 1,246 elson Greymouth ... 16 256 117 19 373 Grand total 19 181 191 2,716 33 1,714 19 181 224 4,430