The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1861-07-09 00:00:00

TILE NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION.

The prise meeting of the Natioual nide Association
opetied oil thurtelay npon Wimbledon Common, and
tiatwitlistanditig the unfavourable state of the weather,
*ith a E. ittee.4 which eyo, 111 most at-lent scarcely dared
to alcqatte. Nearly 1,690 paid 10,- adniisakin to the
ground. The firing commenced soon after 12 o'clock ,
with the first stage of the cumpetition for the Witco's
Prize, open to all home oil culunial Volunteers, at a
range of 200 eardst The thl inuers In this preliminary
contest win 20 Wliitworh rides worth £2.1 each, with a
biker nallal to the beat /shot of all. The second stages
era computed for at 400 and tital yards by thesis 20
prize-winners, and 20 others, who are iicareat in their
number of points. As a general rule, the first day's
*bootleg at the abort range, even among the 20 who are
most successful and carry MT prizes, id by no means a
sure indication of the ultimate winner of this great
Rifle Derby—the bine i ibanil of mart,emen. The
wind blew stroug from left to right, and in such
fitful and uncertain gusts, that it was difficult to
allow for it, and therefore nearly ell the shots weae on
the right hand side of the target An officer of the
Etat-Major was present during the whole
time to watch the result of the firing on behalf of the
French llovernment, and it was said that lie was quite
astmlialied at the accuracy maintaiued. Oreat curimity
was manifested to see what Dlr. Rose, the Champion
shot of last year. would acre. To the great dhoti).
pointment of many, and the still greater sekfackion
of the t..iMputituni who f...sred may
re es,l right, And we, theechwe le this firat
@lege beaten by several. Among the 'amities of the
day wile • kind of Aunt Sally, or pool rifle contest, in
which every oue on the gruund, Volunteer or not, was
allowed to engage on payment of a 'hiding a shot. Au
those who hit the loall's eye took the whole pool, there
was an immense number of entries, and the firing at
these targets was incessant throughout, even during the
worst weather. Out of each pool 25 per cent, wee
deducted for the fonds of the Association, to go towards
the expenses t-f the meeting; and fratin this source alone,
we are glad to say, nearly £5O was received. We
aubjoin the score of Ukase who contended in this
district:—

„T.,mpler, Captain (Ist Dorset
Moo& Sergeant (let Dorset) ..... 112 1 1
Hower, Sergeant (3rd Dorset)
Stupor (Ith Dorset)
Rowe (sth Dorset)
Roberti, W. (si, Dorset) ll2 2 1
Bergman, Lieutenant (7th Dorset) 1 1 1 2 3
it will thus be seen thst it 200 yards Sergeant Homer
stored the highest “uniber (11) for Doreet. There were
6 from other counties—Norfolk, Ilidlothien, Middlesex
(2), Renfrew, and Susie.), who obtaineil the same
number of points; 2 --Sergeant Dougan, Lancashire,
end Sergeant D•mgan, Victoria Bilks, who scored 12,
and Private Dickens, Victoria Rifles, scored the Menet
number-13. Sergeant Green and Private Maynard,
3rd Somerset, wore.' 9 each. From Haiti there were
3 competitors—two scoring 9 and the other 8; while
Devon went 8, of whom the higlicet was J. Slitter
(17th), who scored 9. Two from Backs scored respec-
tively 7 and 8, and one frost Cornwall obtained 6.
Sergeant Homer was, consequently, the highest in the
West of England, and the only one atuongat thew who
scored more than 9 points.