The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-07-26
,VUSEMENTS IN CAMP.
.vFs AND EXERCISES ENJOYED
BY SOLDIERS OFF DUTY.

<# Inherent NOunG A4SS- ASHG HSGSlng
ponular Among the British-Other
Psst1mes.
A. the business of a soldier is to be ath-
-, II is not to be wondered at that in the
mics of the various civilized countries
.onld be found the best developed speci-
mans of the human race. The open-air life,
\. constant drill, the exercises to develop
,aa muscle, and sinew, all tend to make
,5ers physically perfect, even if the best
E,mples of the population in every country
we're not chosen for military service. But
aid. from the regular drill and the mill
,,rv exercises, which are matter of obi
cation. the officers and authorities of most
srnies provide for their men amusement,
and at the same time improvement, by
urnishing contests If strength, agility and
skill. in exercises that are recognized as
suitable for able bodied men.
These sports are generally along the line
IN vhich it Is desirable to increase the Off
CLANCY and usefulness of a soldier. Horse
soldiers are interested in races in contests
into which the saber and lance are intro
3 dlcei. and by utilizing the spirit of emula-
a ron gre thus trained in firing from horse
8 hack. in mounting and alighting while at
a full speed. Infantry are exercised by means
a OF foot races, by contests in jumping and
81 wrestling, In throwing, and in the use of
4 the various arms to which they are accus-
TONED. while artillery thus become skilled
a in d living, in aiming aud firing their pieces
Il Ia the matter Of athletic exercises the
British army is believed to take lead of all
4 others Comprising the most stalwart speci-
mems of one of the most able bodied nations
on the globe, the men and officers of the
British army have a passionate fondness for
any kind of sports. Wherever the British
army goes, the return of every fete day
brings With it a recurrence of sports, out
door games and exercises calculated to de-
valop the physical system. The Englishman
is also quick TO adopt the ideas of others.
and whenever he finds a national sport
which pleases him, readily Incorporates it in
bis own list He Is thus, in sense, cosmo-
politan, and adopts to certain extent the
sports of the country in which he lives. In
Canada, he takes part in q skating festival;
in India, in the games which, from time i'm
memorial, have been played by the natives.
Thus it happened that the peculiar mill
tlry exercises known as tent pegging be-
came familiar among the cavalry of the
British army. The efficiency of the lance
may be doubted. Originally a barbarous
weapon, 1t still fingers in several armies of
Europe, more, perhaps, as a relic than on
account of its real usefulness. Good enough
wnen employed by e regiment of
C1ssacks against Central Asians armed
Only with swords, it is useless
eZqinst the repeating rifles. and there
ire lew battles in the present century in
W. ..ea regiments of lancers had the oppor.
t.-tF to distinguish themselves. Before
tu' conquest of India the lance was in that
c'I try favorite weapon, and many of
tie l1dian troops and several white regi-
nea;s Of the British army are still, nomin-
ally at least. armed with the lance In
order to increase the efficiency of the lancer
the sport OF tent-pegging was probably in
troduced and made an efficient means Of
training.
a tent-peg a foot long is driven half its
length into the ground; a certain distance,
from fty to 100 feet, is measured off; the
lancer puts his horse at gallop, and rid
ing at full speed, endeavors to bear away
the peg on the point OF his lance. The feat
is by no means easy, requiring strength as
well as dexterity and caution, for q mis-
stroke would probably cause the lance to
strike IN the ground, and either break it
of, give the lancer a strained wrist or cause
him severe fall.
Ient-pegRlng, however, is mere first step
in the lance exercise, for after proficiency
IN bearing away the peg has been attained
two uprights are erected, somewhat higher
than the head of a man on horseback, a
horizontal pole is laid across, and from it
depends an apple, which is set swinging like
pendulum at right angles to the race
course. To impale the swinging apple
is the hight of skill, and yet there
a'e said to be twenty or thirty
1en in every Indian regiment who. in
tl'ee times out of five can bear away the
l.ui5 on the point of the lance. In the
ASIAN wars, aud 10 contests with an enemy
armed with the old-sashioned flint locks,
With swords and antiquated horse pistols,
the lancers do good service, and in the
great campaign against the Afghans some
Years ago. when the British army received
a severe repulse, the artillery were saved
by the lancers, who repeatedly drove back
the Afghan cavalry and thus covered the
retreat of the guns.
In the British army running and iumDing
ore given especial attention, and some of
tle best records made outside of professional
circles were by soldiers of Great Britain.
Even more than to running, however, at
tentlon is paid to jumping. Both the stand
ing and the running jumps are practiced,
and fine exhibitions of strength have been
given IN each. There are many cases cited
10 the history of the British army in which
the skill attained by practicing for sports
las proved invaluable to the soldier in dire
necessity. In the retreat from Afghanistan,
already mentioned, the champion Jumper of
one OF the South England regiments was
pursued by party Of the enemy's cavalry.
his gun was empty, and he had no time to
reload. He ran in the direction of the Brit
lsn forces, but between him and them, on
plain that at first seemed level, he soon per-
celved chasm of uncertain depth, and
Wider than he believed himself able to leap.
mere was no help for it, however; a
moments delay meant certain death at the
hands of the Afghans, and; straining every
nerve, he jumped from the edge and landed
SSateiy on the opposite side 1t was a terrific
lesp-one that excited the admiration even
Oh the pursuing enemy. who at once gave
up me chase, believing that the fugitive
IN have some powerful charm
mat would enable him to jump
eucn distance. By subsequent
! measurements the gulf proved to be a
!.vue over Il feet. High jumping, too, mas
us value In time of war During the Boer
wal. war IN South Africa, jumper of some rep
s u'auon found himself in tight place and
surrounded sG on three sides by the enemy; on
Uhe fourth was a wall 10 feet in hight. He
! L au 10 the wall, by terrific leap placed his
saving hiSlife.
among the Scottish regiments the sports
VI ~, thelr native land are most popular.
~ nen scottish regiment is quartered in a
Souhtry where snow aud ice abound curling
- 81 Sne common winter sport, but everywhere
throwing the hammer" or putting the