The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1877-04-10 00:00:00

THE RIFLE CORPS ON EASTER MONDAY.

About one o'clock on the great Sprieg holiday, Mr.
Jeffery's bugle called the sth RN., to preparation for their
afternoon out. A, they could not attend the great review,
Lieut. Commandant Gallon had arranged for them to have
Intl in a field near Weynimith, soil to be photegraPhml
by Mr. E. Delieuhatn. As Vie Urevey and Broadwil men
would be preterit, this would be a capital chance fir
getting together momentous of the brethren-in-anus.
Unfortunately there had been a change an to the field,
which it was long before expected w mild be at Redwell ;
but when the men gathered netsirle the Drill Man.
Market-street, they numbered .4( Sti file, and their
numbers were soon increaeol to :deed 70, inelniling Vent.
Commandant Goon at in,, end, and the fife-and-drum
band at the other. Bandmaster c.ish and his hose played
spiritedly, and, as the corp, marched round by the Guilt.
hall, and up St. Mary-street, they drew a large crowd of
, the youthful and other inhaliitaute. Near to the
' Collegiate schol is the lane leading to the S!:but Cricket
grimed, and into this ground they marched, the public
being admitted according to the wise diseretion of Sergt.
Apsey, who had enough to do keeping the gate. and
seemed to le bothered considerahly by people who could
not make up their mind., whether theyl stay in the ground
or not. The stern sergeant was of ten inaccessible to the
appeals even of rustic beauties, for Bessie, who couldn't
make up her mind, of ten had to watch with jealousy her
friend Annie in the favoured enclosure. A good lot
found themselves on "the right sole of the hedge," and
we have • suspicion that, for the young ladies who
wasted to see their sweethearts at drill, it
was true as ever that 'Love will find out
the way," for certain out of the way fences were
scaled, and the stern police saw even thirse they had
refused, inside the grounds. The field commands a fine
view over the flat swamps of Loduroor, and then up the
gently rising hills between Upwey and Pruden, the great
Ridgeway rearing Itself like a garden wall, against the
north wind. On the right were the tine houses of Wester-
hall villas, Greeuhill Rouse, Mr. Carebridge's large new
mansion, and beyond all, the Bay, which here leaves the
Preston road. The rorps soon went to business, and were
in the mysteries of the '' manual and !datum,' and,
considering that s. large a number of reentits,—we should
say about ile—were arming them, tle y went through the
drill very fairly, even if time distanees were not evenly
shared. The photographing .4 the corps was doubtless the
great attraetion of the day, and this should have tiniest!
early, considering that the corps did not arrive till half--
past two, and the light was certainly not " intense."
Though we dbl not get all Mr. Debermhanm's bodily
I presence CarlY, he sent us an instalment in the shape of a
Pretty good Legg, and by and by the gates had to be
opened ' wide as the sky," for in rolled a great can hig
enough to contain, besides all the materials for the' wet
. collodion" process, a selection for carrying everything
from that dim daguerreotype poor Mr. Brenel used to do
1 in the rings, down to the latest special permanent plan.
The humense travelling dark room slowly rolled in, and
it was no use to rry Itee !" for Mr. Debenture's men
managed it all. Mr. Legg produced a splended very large
slide-front bellows camera, and fitted it with a
capital Dallineyer's trifle achromatic lens, and Mr.
Delmenham and he carried it to the fret, the
! men were posed. bayonets fixed, and in two lines
the bard:ground being the green fields and hills. Here I
was reminded hew deceitful is the sobill earth ; there is
I many a good hollow studio floor, (even where it springy
I so that unlucky rink-floor which was seized for rent) that
I would rather choose for steadiness before that elastic
turf. One attempt was made, with what result I must
leave the developer to tell, and then Lieut. Gilson hal hi.,
little son and daughter between him and Sergeant
Jeffery, making the two look thorough family men.
But—