1871.] War Science. 45 



educated body of men like the Royal Engineers afforded by the 

 successful Abyssinian campaign — which has been frequently 

 designated a gigantic piece of road-making, and which was 

 in every sense an unqualified triumph over engineering 

 difficulties in a wild and unexplored country, rather than a 

 victory over a half-civilised nation — may be cited as a proof 

 of the wisdom of such policy, if, indeed, any were wanted. 

 During that campaign a wild and unknown country was sur- 

 veyed and accurately mapped out, four hundred miles of road 

 were constructed, a telegraphic system was established, wells 

 were sunk, photographic records were secured, and, moreover, 

 the geological formation of the mountains studied by the 

 engineer officers of the staff entrusted with these multifarious 

 duties. Of course, so much engineering skill is not habitually 

 required in ordinary campaigns, but when this is unneces- 

 sary, other calls of a different nature are made upon the 

 Royal Engineer, whose services are continually required for 

 designing earthworks, stockades, balloon equipments, &c. 



The improvements and applications of one kind or another 

 in connection with telegraphy, signalling, surveying, and 

 other engineering matters, which are frequently being made 

 at the School of Military Engineering, is a further evidence 

 of the interest taken in science by this intelligent branch of 

 the army, and it is, indeed, not only in the officers, but also 

 in the non-commissioned ofQcers and men, that this superior 

 ability is apparent, many of the latter frequently giving proof 

 of their skill in the elaboration of novelties connected with 

 galvanic batteries, signalling methods, photographic manipu- 

 lations, &c. 



Turning from Chatham to Woolwich, we find science 

 as well cared for on the banks of the Thames as on the 

 Medway. At the Royal Arsenal, at Woolwich, — the chief 

 source of our military supplies — not only are all the manu- 

 facturing establishments under the charge of men chosen 

 specially from the Royal Artillery and Engineers, by reason 

 of their ability and attainments, but their doings are, more- 

 over, controlled by an experimental committee, appointed 

 solely for the purpose of watching the progress of war science, 

 and investigating such inventions and modifications as are 

 brought to their attention from time to time. At Woolwich 

 there exist three vast factories or departments, occupied 

 respectively with the manufacture of ordnance, ammunition, 

 and military carriages, and the marked progress recently 

 perceptible in all these establishments bears testimony to the 

 desire on every hand to utilise new data and theories con- 

 tributed by competent men. And no better proof of this can 



