The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1874-12-01 00:00:00

ASSAULT OF ARMS.

The public entertainments which are so necessary for
the amusement of our gouty were pleasingly varied on
Monday last, when the staff and regimental instructors of
the Gymniurunn. Vane Citadel, Portland, exhibited •
great variety of feats of agility, strength, and dexterity,
with various weapons, and on the various appliances for
gymnastics. The Bunion Hotel assembly rooms were
well filled both afternoon and evening, by interested
audiences, and the feats were astonishing in their nature,
and moat successfully performed.
As to the arrangement, the necessary table, bars, and
rings were suspended from the glazed sub-roof of the
room, and mattresses were laid down the middle of the
floor. On either side the swan were arranged facing
diagonally inwards, a plan necessary in this case, but
which would add to the sociability of many another
assembly, for people would sit so as to see each other
more.

The perfoniuuices commenced with agile leaps on the
Vaulting Horse. off, and over it, by Staff-Instructor
McKenzie, Sergeant Prmiton, Corporal Lane, and Corporal
Brown, whose suppleness and strength were much
admired.

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Pcscmg.—An encounter with rapiers between Staff-
Instruckir McKenzie and Corporrl Lane followed; each
displayed that readiness of eye, wrist, and body, which
niakes the sword • weapon not only of Mack, but of
defence, and has done away with the need of the
ciuubruus tar4e, as says M.,11
Fr trained abroad Ws arms to wield,
Ilts-James's blade wussronl •Ihi shield."
After a smart encounter, the points made by each were
o pial, so it was a drawn bottle.
Ilosi4q.--Gunner McKee, I:unner Bond, M.A.,
lepl a set-to with the gloss., and tlds display of the
" noble art of self-defence" wan touch relish.l by a
certain portion of the audience. It was said that McKee
won.

Flying Treperc.—These gyinnattics are alwaya astonish.
ing, when done by such experts as StIA-Instructor
McKenzie, Sergeant Preston, Corps. Lane and Brown.
The little trembling table seemed finite unable to bear the
weight of the hue men who sprang about It; but they
jumped or twirled about with wonderful certainty, and
ith grai4fial attitudes. Mr. McKenzie in particular,
passed as if flying, from one slender perch or hold to
another in a •t admirable ?.ay. .

Sword v. Litviwiet.—CA' wp. Brown took the sword, and
Sergt. Lane the private s wwdpon. A terrible fight
hi-to coil an officer and a private was well represented. The
bayonet got well home several timm ; but the sword cute
that fell on Preston were more numerous, and though one
bayonet thrust through the body would. e should have
thought, have been far more fatal than hall-a-dozen
sword lashes, yet the decision was in favour of the wont,
whose holder onee gMlilled the bayonet with his left hand,
ant might then have cut the other to pieces.
Stick. —Staff -I Is.tratetor McKenzie and Corporal
Lane met in this style of tight Lane seemed a good
opponent in the ruts, but in the thrusts McKenzie bad
decidedly the
Mounted Combat. —This isa hit of f tin, in which two men
mounted on the backs of two others, tilt with lanees, and
fight with single sticks. It was a thorough •,'b-e, in
which both came to the :round. I much laughter.
Sergi Preston, Corp. Brown. Cower Holt, R.A. and
Gunner Falba, ILA., were the men who enlivened the
audience with this sport.
. .

After this WM a chotinterval, preporatory to exhibiting
Staff-Instructor MoKennios wonderful sword feats.
Sword Feels—These performances of Staff-instructor
McKenzie were regarded Yrith much wonder, and showed
him to he most de:ten:am in the management of the
sword. Two hers of lead one inch thick were stood erect,
poised on pedestals, and the swordsman, with a rut each
to and fro cies erly iliviik.sl the lead. A broom handle was
then placed horizontally, with its ends just res.ing on two
glasses of water, and with one blow Mr. McKenzie
severed the broomstick, without spilling any of the
water. Two sheet; of note paper, placed on edge, were
were divided by one sweep of the &won'. The Semis
little boy then marched up over the mattresses, and was
posted with an apple on his head; his father then swept
off a shoe with his sword, amid applause. This was
repeated when he cut off another slice about • quarter of
an inch think, from the sense apple, the little boy standing
titan unmoved.
(konnanlies on Flying Rings.—Maurn McKenzie,
Preston, Lane, and Brown taking the rings in their hands,
swing to ant fro, raise themselves in the air, supporting
their whole weight on their wrists, then turn over, back-
wards and forwards ; McKenzie changed hands on the
rings or passed in mid-air flight from the rings to a her;
and one of the performers raised himself up with half-
hundredweights attached to his feet.
Broad Sword. A smart encounter between Staff--
Instructor McKenzie and Corporal Lane appeared to
result in the points being equal.
Dumb be:U.—These heavy weights were lints!, and
motions performed with them, with mechanical precision,
among other feats they lowered them to their toes,
without touching the ground, at least half.a-dosen times
in succession.

--.--
Baymin v. Brtymwt.—StalTiruitructor McKenzie and
Sent. Preston showea the method of attack and defence
with this weapon.
Quarter seal: —Corp. Lane and Corp. itrown engaged
with bulky poles about ten feet long, and after a heavy
encounter, caused great delight to the juveniles by
throwing away their quarter staves, and finishing off with
• bout at fisticuffss.

- •- -•
The perfornianecei closed with some agile (=to on the
Horizonte! bar.

THE TICIIIIOLVE e1.7-1/171/41%-8:nle of our contem-
poraries announce the removal of the Claimant front
Portland to Mil!honk. That in • mistake, since the
Claimant haw not yet been to Portland.
THE Muer- —Them trusty officers have occaaionally a
rough time of it in Portland. In an encounter a night or
two hack, &rid. Florence got knocked shout before be
and two of his men could capture some disorderly
marines. _ _

Tut VICARAGR OF Sr. JOMeA.—We are very happy to
learn that the vicarage of Bt. John's, Fortune's Well,
which has lately been increased in value, has been given
to the Rev. M. Ottley, late curate of Melcombe Regis and
Radipole. The rev. gentleman is Evangelical in doctrine,
hard working as a pastor, and very highly esteemed in
Weymouth, so that we are sure the parishioners of St.
Jahn s have every reason to be delighted with the new
appointment.
11•LLILIMS0 FITE LAST FZECTION.—Last week applica-
tion was made in the Court of Queen's Bench, for leave to
make application for a Ina 'normal° againit Mr. B. Collins,
to show how he sits at the Local Board, as Mr. R. J.
Andiwws claims the seat. A rule oioi was granted, and
notice has been served on Mr. B. Collins, and on Mr. R.
N. Howard, Clerk to the Board. The Ilth of January is
the day for the {application, and it is hollered that Mr.
Collins will resist.

Gua ON THE Thu.—The gas pipes have been extended
into Easton. as far as Mr. Wallis's first establishmenC
The lamp pillars are erected along the road an far AA the
entrance to the village. On our enquiry an to the lighting
munehode of the old schisil ;crumbled out " hope they
won't light 'eni either; we could pick out the road before
now 't'll be darker than ever with the gas lamps." Such
are the thoughts of thou, who hate improvement. Our
;moulder also declared they "spoiled the roads."
THE NEw SCIIOOI. AT CaaaL —This new building,
ererted by the exertions ef the Rev. W. W. Sherren and
his frienila is now in a forward state, and it is hoped that
the school wiU be opened about the second or third week
in December. It is really a very creditable and flirt:-
looking place, and not without ornament, though mainly
constructed for use. We hope much good may be done
there.

TIIE C ASTLETOWN .APIO lIR F.A WATER A I LIN .
Although the proincters of the railway to the Breakwater
hail only to deal with one proprietary—the "Portland
(Incline) Railway Company;*— they have been unable to
arrange for the cmming of the totters line. The Incline
Company were too anxious lest stone should In carried
over the new line. As we predicted a week or two ago,
the promoters of the new railway, who are understood to
be mainly preineil fonvanl by the Secretary to the Admi-
ralty, have resolved to apply for an Act of Parliament,
an.l hove given notice thereof. If they get the Bill, they
will net be hampered by tusy restrictions as to carrying
stone or not.
SEAMEN'S ISSIONS. —On Sunday last sermons were
preached in aid of the.., Missions. to which Mr. Z.
Milledge No ably acts as local secretary, at St. Geom.*.
Church. the Rector (the Rev. J. A. Ilearor) officiated ; his
teat was Matt. and viii —27 ; and the collections
amounted to Cl Ws. &I. At St. John's, the Rev. W. e.
Roberts, curate, preached, and the amount realised was
12e. est., the morning text being Rev. iv.-3. At St.
Peter's, the Rev. S. D. Tiikwell preached in the morning
(mei Psalm cvii. —35, and the Rev. A. Hill in the evening,
from Acts xx.-35, the nillections amounting to Cl
St. John's is the only church in the island which adopts
the weekly offertory, and this explains the comparative
sinallnem of it. collodion.,
EXTERTAIRM V.NT FU S ST. GEORGE'S SCHOGI.A. —A very
respectable audience assembled on Fri.lay at the SO-.01
room, when an entertainment was given in aid of the
school funds. The Rector (the Rev. J. A. Beszor) pre-
sided, and all the pieces were performed moat successfully.
The procramme was as follows :—Glee, "I love the merry
Spring-tune ;" song, "Touch the HIM gentli." Mr. Yates: