86 
differing price structures offered by the British War 
Office. Apparently stores ordered under "No. 1 
Balance Sheet" were a different price from those 
stores purchased under "No. 2 Balance Sheet", and 
as Martini-Henry ammunition was about 10 
shillings per 1000 more expensive than Snider 
ammunition, the purchase of it under the most 
generous balance sheet should be investigated - 
the new Martini-Henry and Snider rifles costing 
about the same. Harvest probably sowed the seeds 
of later confusion over the supply of the Martini- 
Henry rifles and their ammunition at this time, as 
he concluded his order to the Colonial Secretary by 
stating that if the British Government would not 
concede any saving of cost on the Martini-Henrys 
and ammunition then he would be happy to accept 
Sniders instead. He meant of course Snider rifles as 
well as ammunition, but the War Office apparently 
concluded that he wanted the Martini-Henry rifles 
but the cheaper ammunition, which was Snider 
ammunition. This led to the Martini-Henrys being 
issued from the Tower in August 1873“ and being 
received and issued in September 1874. Upon 
opening the ammunition crates they were found to 
contain Snider ammunition. Harvest complained in 
a letter to the Colonial Secretary which led to some 
somewhat strained correspondence between 
Western Australia and London. The Snider 
ammunition was transferred to the Enrolled 
Pensioner Force and on 22nd September 1874 
approval was given to order 2000 rounds of 
Martini-Henry Ball ammunition and 2000 rounds 
of Blank ammunition from Melbourne "as a matter 
of urgency". 81 These Martini-Henrys appear on the 
1875 Returns where "82" are listed on issue to the 
Fremantle Rifle Volunteers, the extra ten rifles 
probably being Snider-Enfields. 82 The Inquirer 
newspaper reported in May the following year that 
at a shoot, the F.R.V. would use "Sniders instead of 
Martini-Henrys" 83 indicating that they still had no 
ammunition eight months later. The Martini-Henry 
rifles would have been Mark I, (First or Second 
Pattern) arms, 84 but none have been noted. No 
mention of their marking was found. Interestingly, 
Harvest in 1876 offered these Martini-Henrys as a 
swap to the Pensioner "Day Force" in exchange for 
their Sniders, but London declined to permit it. 85 
Harvest was attempting to regain uniformity of 
ammunition supplies (and bayonets) by having one 
pattern of service arm. Also, the greater number of 
secondhand Sniders to be had by swapping off the 
almost new and therefore more expensive Martinis 
would have allowed him to make up a shortfall he 
knew would occur when the order of Sniders per 
Clifton arrived in 1877. (Due to the small budget 
allowed him by the W.A. government the number 
of Sniders ordered was less than the number 
actually required for the volunteers). Instead of the 
swap the War Department agreed to sell W.A. 
G-B. Trotter 
some Sniders at a discount. These discounted arms 
were the 33 Sniders per the Eulic in 1877. No other 
request for arms or ammunition is known until 
1881 when a note stating "Issue 1200 rounds, 
Martini-Henry Ball ammunition to Capt- 
Sutherland" 86 was sent to the Enrolled Guard 
storekeeper Sgt. McCarthy, followed soon after by 
another which stated "Hand over to Captain 
Sutherland, commander of the Fremantle Rifle 
Volunteers, 20 Snider Rifles". 87 Increased 
enrolments had outstripped the Martini-Henrys, 
necessitating the issue of Sniders to supplement 
them. To redress the problem of two different 
patterns of arms being on issue in the corps about 
28 Martini-Henry rifles were purchased "for the 
Fremantle Rifle Volunteers" in 1881. 88 No specific 
requisition document was found for this additional 
purchase but it is obvious from a Minute paper 
dated 15th January 1884 that this corps received 
the additional Martinis. Describing all the arms 
held by the F.R.V. as at 1st January 1884 it lists, 
"100 Martini-Henry Rifles, 100 bayonets", an 
increase of 28 Martini-Henrys since 1874. There is 
also a note stating that there were "50 Sniders 
(Converted Enfields), 47 Long and three Short in 
store". 88 These Snider-Enfields were obviously the 
standby arms already mentioned in the voucher of 
1881 which were on loan from the E.P.F. The 
Commandants Report for 1885-86 shows that 20 
additional Martini-Henrys were issued to the 
F.R.V. in 1886, bringing the total to 120 stand. 90 He 
also stated that "The rifles in possession of the 
Fremantle Corps are nearly all greatly in need of 
browning and general looking over". These rifles, 
most of which had been in service since 1874 were 
the oldest Martinis in the colony. Consequently on 
8th August 1887 the Commandant ordered and 
received in the same year, spare parts for Martini 
Henrys Marks I, II, III 91 with which the arms of the 
Fremantle Rifle Volunteers, (and others), were 
serviced. This corps was armed with Martini- 
Henry rifles until 1895 when as C and D companies 
of the 1st Infantry Volunteer Regiment they were 
issued with 81 Martini-Metford Mark I rifles. Bv 
1899 they numbered 216 men having been re¬ 
organised and increased by the addition of f 
company, still armed with Martini-Metfords. In 
1900 this corps was absorbed into the Western 
Australian Infantry Brigade becoming the 2nd 
Battalion, when they were issued with 24 9 
Magazine Lee-Speed rifles. 92 
The Guildford Rifle Volunteers were a 
detachment of the Metropolitan Rifle Volunteers 
from 1872-73 until 1874 when they officially 
became the Guildford Rifle Volunteers in their own 
right. For the first few years "only very obsolete 
rifles were available". 93 They were partially armed 
with Metropolitan Rifle Volunteer Enfields in 1874, 
and in 1877 when the M.R.V. rearmed with 
