LIGHT HORSE. 189 



saddle horses/' if such exists. Cavalry, then, is an essen- 

 tial part of any army, as much so as ever it was; but 

 cavalry must not stand still while the other arms of the 

 service are progressing in efficiency. Some little altera- 

 tions must be made if dragoons are to work, either in 

 concert with, or opposed to, rifled ordnance and infantry, 

 armed as they now are. Our infantry are very different 

 people now to what they were at the battle of Waterloo, 

 or even at the Alma ; but the difference in our cavalry is 

 not so great. They have a different saddle and bridle ; 

 but the horse is still over weighted, and so incapable 

 of rapid or long-continued movement. 



Now rapidity of movement is of every importance. 

 Cavalry, incapable of getting about speedily, is an 

 incumbrance, and a useless trouble and expense to the 

 army and country that own them ; while, if ever they are 

 engaged, they are bound to be the victims of a mistaken 

 system. Slow-moving" dragoons are only useful as targets 

 for the enemy's marksmen. In outpost duty not only 

 must individuals be able to get about quickly, but, to be 

 useful, so must bodies of mounted men collectively. If 

 news is to be carried, the quicker it travels the better ; 

 if any enemy is to be avoided the advantage of speed is 

 obvious ; so it is where detached parties have to be cut off; 

 and above all, if cavalry are to charge, the quicker they 

 do it the better for them. No general in his senses 

 would ever willingly put his cavalry in the position in 

 which the Light Brigade found itself at Balaclava ; but, 

 if unavoidable circumstances compel a mounted corps to 

 charge for a long distance under a hot fire, the difference 

 of a minute or two in the time which they took to get 

 over the ground would make a very perceptible difference 

 in the subsequent return of killed and wounded. For 



