THE MEGAPHONE. 
233 
holding it and of inflecting the voice in order to get the best results. 
He had used it with a fairly strong wind and found it to work, but 
of course finds it better (for long distances) when the day is still. 
Down wind the voice can be carried a very long way. For short dis¬ 
tances such as I have alluded to above when the guns of a group are 
somewhat far apart, as must be the case in some works, it is invaluable. 
I hope to make more extended trials of the megaphone, but I have 
seen enough of it already to come to the conclusion that it is quite 
worth while to take up and try. It is cheap and so simple of con¬ 
struction that for a few pounds some large fortress could be furnished 
with a dozen or so, and exhaustive trials could take place under all 
kinds of conditions. 
A law would soon be discovered which would govern its use, and it 
would, I believe, become a useful member of that large and cosmo¬ 
politan family known as <e garrison artillery adjuncts.” 
Though very light it is a little cumbersome when the large sizes are 
employed, and undoubtedly for long distances you must use large sizes. 
But I see no reason why inventive ingenuity should not make it col¬ 
lapsible for conveying about. Moreover, when using large sizes it is 
convenient to hang it on a light tripod close to where the person is 
who has to give the orders. It could easily be arranged that the 
drum reader of the D.R.F. could have it near him so that without 
leaving his instrument he could put his mouth to the megaphone and 
call out the ranges. For short ranges quite a small megaphone would 
suffice. 
I claim the following advantages for this instrument:— 
(1.) Simplicity, lightness and cheapness. 
(2.) It avoids all dangers arising from more than one person 
passing on orders which they perhaps hear imperfectly 
and retail wrongly. 
(3.) The orders sent through the megaphone are passed on in 
the natural voice of the person using it, and whose voice 
is generally familiar to those who receive the orders. 
(4.) With two megaphones conversations can be carried on at a 
considerable distance in far shorter time and with less 
chance of mistakes than when sent by telephone, or by 
signalling. 
(5.) When telephones and signallers fail it is useful to fall back 
on. 
(6.) It could be heard in a fog, and smoke does not influence it. 
(7.) It effects a saving of men who would otherwise have to be 
used as orderlies. 
As to its disadvantages I can only suggest very few so far, though 
I have no doubt that others will be found, for no instrument can be 
perfect. 
(1.) It is, in the large sizes, rather cumbersome, and a man with 
it to his mouth might be conspicuous, 
