THE CAVALRY CAMP AT MANAIA.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXIII, Issue 9542, 10 November 1881, Page 3

THE CAVALRY CAMP AT MANAIA.

•^ " Old Clmm " writes : -- Having P hour oi- so to spend, I visited the S^patMnnaia and saw the Alexandra Rivalry, who were stationed there watchmovements of old Titokowaru. life consists of a round of drills, todes. guards, eating and drinking, till an occasional visit to the guard*>ni, a chase after a pig with a greasy V> ai }d a nocturnal raid on the comdepartment during the slumbers 8 the cook. Saturday last being a j&eral " off duty " day and beautifully "je, "our boys'' were enjoying theniin any and every way they pleased -*ome running and jumping ; some Sensing single-stick drill and boxing ; j^e luxuriating in a cloud of smoke ™w the soothing weed, and reading * e s of chivalry, all the time fancying «emselves really the heroes of the tale ; fc: ne reading Field's reports, on the factieability of several proposed bridle from Wanganui to Murimotu, *d the manual of field operations; stone wallowing in a stream close by, f^aed by the scorching rays of Old H and some pouring out in lyric and

blank (very much blank) verse the gentle passion of love to the " girl I left be- ; hind me," whose saddened and tearful face still haunts the quietest retreats of the camp when suddenly the bugle calls "To arms! To arms." "Ah! then there was hurrying to fro,"— the boxing gloves, the singlesticks, the proposed Murimotu track and officers' manual, the entertaining tale and soothing weed, the half-finished sighing of the warrior-lover were alike forgotten, the amphibious bipeds, basking in the mudholes in a very primitive style of undress uniform, all donned sword and rifle, and " mounted in hot haste " : the steed, the dripping bather, the sighing lover, the cook, and all

Went pouring forward with impetuous spf ed, /nd swiftly formi g in th° ranks of war ; And the deep thunder pe3l on peal afar,

turned out to be some volley practising by the Manaia Mounted Eifles ! Of course then it was understood that no one had been made a fool of, and all had been previously arranged. Just so. (Friends are requested not to state the source from Avhence thoy got this confidential scrap).