THE ROYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION. 
367 
IY. Tpie service* practice—its precision and eeeect—and the 
EMPLOYMENT OE MOUNTAIN GUNS. 
Service of the guns, gun-detachments and distribution of the gun 
implements. 
1 i. The chief duties involved in the service of rifled mountain guns 
are:—lading* unlading* loading* unloading* laying* firing* and sponging out 
the piece. 
Tor these duties* 5 men are told off to each gun; they are numbered from 
1 to 5* and are provided with gun-implements as follows :— 
No. 1: a cartouche* fuze-spanner with sling lanyard* handspike* the last 
of which he puts under the carriage when not in use; No. 2 i a sponge and 
spare cartouche; No. 3 : a tangent scale and priming-iron with a case for 
both, further a kneecap buckled to his right knee; No. 4 : a tube-pocket 
and friction-tube lanyard; No. 5 : a cartouche. 
Lading and unlading the gun on and off the mule's bach. 
12. The gun and the carriage* as previously mentioned* are laden 
separately on mules 5 backs. Tor this purpose* the gun-mule is led up to 
the left of*, and close to the gun; No. 1 puts the handspike into the bore; 
Nos. 2 and 4 undo the capsquares* the gun is then raised off the carriage* 
No. 1 lifting by the handspike, Nos. 3 and 5 by the cascable button and 
breech* the gun is then turned round on its axis until the vent comes down* 
wards; by a further lift the gun is raised over the mule’s croup and placed 
on the pack-saddle* the trunnions lying in their seats in the cradle* muzzle to 
the right. No. 1 stows the handspike in the bore and closes it with the 
tompion. Tinally* Nos. 1 and 3 buckle to the gun straps while Nos. 1 and 
5 buckling their cartouches together hang them square over the pack-saddle, 
In No. Vs cartouche are stowed the gun-implements of Nos. 1 and 3 ; in 
that of No. 5* the gun-implements of No. 4. Tig. 20 shows the packing 
of the gun-mule. 
To lade the carriage* No. 2 buckles the sponge on the carriage* both 
sponges lying between the cheeks of the carriage* and with No. 4 runs the 
carriage up to its mule. Nos. 4 and 5 take out the linchpins and unship the 
wheels* laying them on the ground* put the linchpins in again* then lifting 
by the axletree arms* while No. 2 lifts by the trail* raise the carriage and 
place it on the saddle and trail-pad. Nos. 2 and 5 buckle the carriage straps* 
No. 2 puts the wheel bearer athwart the carriage; whereupon Nos. 4 and 5 
hang on the wheels* dish outwards, one spoke over the axletree body* one 
felloe on the wheel-bearer* and fasten them above* by one of the recoil- 
ropes* below* by the wanty or swing girth. No. 2’s cartouche is placed 
between the cheeks of the carriage and buckled fast. Tig. 21 shows the 
packing of the gun-carriage mule. 
Unlading the gun is done in the reverse order; first the wheels and the 
carriage* and then the piece are unladen from their respective mules, 
