CHAPTER XXXni. 



Armament and Equipment. 



t. — heavy cavalry, or cavalry of the line. 

 I i foioc a^ id be composed of powerful men on 



so<, 



Jd 



l)e trained to the greatest 



strorrvr ■iorR:,o. a^, 



possible steadme!^ /'k- ..ims, as already mentioned, 



should consist simply oi I wo r ^1^:1 and a sabre. One 



revolver should be carried on rh( 



'he other on 



the horse. 



As to dress there are a few general points tliat .-l^ 

 mentioned. The uniform should sit close to the bouy 

 l)ut not too tight, in order to give perfect freedom to the 

 use of the limbs. A light metal helmet is the best head- 

 piece, and a good protection against a sword-cut. 

 Cuirasses, to be a defence against modern arms, would 

 have to be so heavy that men could hardly carry them, 

 and unless buUet-proof they would be injurious rather 

 than otherwise. As speed is important in getting over 

 the dangerous zone of fire as quickly as possible, the 

 cuirasses should be abolished, and light chain shoulder- 

 straps as a protection against sword-cuts, and gauntlets, 

 with light steel bars to the elbow, should be the only, 

 species of defensive armour. 



Jack-boots reaching to the knee are also very useful 

 to horsemen, as they keep the feet dry, protect the legs 

 somewhat in the crowding in the ranks, and when pulled 

 off at night enable the soldier to sleep comfortably, with 

 dry trousers around his ankles, which could not be the 

 case with the leather-covered overalls used in some 



armies. 



til 



M M 2 



