THE
PETE RITE Von. VI .
AUGUST, 1884 .
No . 46.
THE PORTSMOUTH VOLUNTEER REVIEW. NOTHER Easter has come and gone, and with it another Volunteer gathering . Since the Brighton Review of last year, of which I sent an account to the " Peterite," the Volunteer force have gained decided ground in the estimation of the military authorities at the War Office. The recent speeches of the Duke of Cambridge and Lord %Volseley, show that they place great confidence in our branch of the service, and are fully alive to the important aid that Volunteers could render to the country, should England become one of the active parties in a great European war . Lord Wolseley's remarks, indeed, seemed to point to the probabilities of such a state of affairs in the not distant future, for he said that when he saw all the great Powers increasing their standing armies, and their fighting resources, he could only conclude that these preparations pointed to some great European war. We all pray that such an event may be averted ; but in no better way can it be avoided than by taking thoroughly to heart and acting upon the late Duke of Wellington's advice, namely, " to maintain peace, be prepared for war ." The great opportunity of the year which is offered to Volunteers for making themselves more efficient protectors of their Fatherland, is at the annual manoeuvres at Eastertide, when the doings of our citizensoldiers are always viewed with great interest by the public at large. It is for this reason that I have undertaken to chronicle once more for the pages of our School Magazine the doings of the Volunteers at the late Portsmouth Review and on the march ; and although I shall, of course, have to devote special attention to the part taken in the manoeuvres by my own corps the London Scottish, but as I speak from actual experience, I may be forgiven for any apparent partiality owing to the necessities of the case, and my personal account may prove the more interesting .
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