TELE ROYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION 
199 
Forge Mule. lbs. oz. 
1 Saddle, Otago* . 32 0 
1 Bellows and hearth .. 98 8 
1 Anvil j 1 block for anvil (35 lbs.); 
1 hammer (7 lbs.). 98 0 
1 Box, tools, poker, &c... 10 0 
1 Cover, pack saddle. 6 8 
1 Skin (water) . 7 10 
252 10 
The following are the weights carried 
by mules of the 1st Reserve:— 
lbs. oz. 
6 Mules, double shell, each.. 229 2 
9 a n n «/...... 203 2 
2 n Rockets n . 223 2 
3 „ „ „ 245 2 
2 n Shrapnel n « 205 2 
1 Mule Case » . 191 2 
1 a Fuzes, &c. 185 1 
1 n Powder . 201 2 
5 Mules carry material, the loads varying 
in weight, 1 mule carrying additional 
wheeler’s tools. 
1 Cloak.f per man were carried 
1 Blanket.. < by the mules of the 
1 Waterproof sheet (.battery. 
The steel guns have more than answered the expectations formed of them. 
Some improvement may be made in the method of fitting the fore-sight; 
this is brittle, and being screwed in, is frequently broken off at the neck of 
the thick screw. A sight block might be turned as a portion of the gun. 
The carnages seem capable of little improvement, but the wheels used 
with .the batteries during the expedition were not strong enough. 
Wheels of the Madras pattern were constructed and sent out to 
Abyssinia, but did not arrive in time to be used. 
Of the projectiles, the common and double shell w T ere very effective. 
The shrapnel has little or no effect beyond 600 yards, though used with 
success at “Arogee ” on the 10th April; it is quite certain that the present 
burster frequently fails to break up the case, and that the bullets themselves 
have but little penetration. 
An improved shrapnel with a burster contained in a tin cylinder has, I 
understand, been made for 7-pr. rifled guns (M.L.), but none were received 
before the division was broken up. 
The case shot is useless beyond 150 yards, and with a 6 oz. charge the 
case often remains entire. 
The rochets have at all times made capital practice, though after an 
exposure of seven months the whole of the composition has in some cases 
gone off explosively, not however detracting from the range of the shell of 
the rocket, though rendering it comparatively useless. It seems a mistake 
to fire these projectiles with a high elevation, their range allowing the 
composition to be expended, in such a case, before they reach the object 
aimed at; they cannot however be fired with a smaller elevation than 5°. 
The fuzes have at all times burned with great regularity. I am inclined 
to doubt the necessity of the 5" fuze. Some attempt was made at 
“ Ashangee " to discover whether they are extinguished on the shell 
striking the water; it was difficult, however, to submit them to an accurate 
test. 
The ammunition boxes in size and form meet every requirement, but it is 
probable that “ Clarkson's material" would be better fitted for rough work 
and exposure than cedar wood. The fittings of the double shell boxes are 
heavy. The same fault may be found with the rocket panniers; these 
projectiles were very well preserved in packing cases. 
* Without stirrup leathers, stirrups, or loading straps. 
[VOL. VI.] 
27 
