186 
OKEHAMPTON EXPERIENCES, 1892 . 
link. That is open to tlie same objection : you could not unbook it if 
the traces were taut. 
Pole-draught has been on trial in u L ” Battery and 57th Field, and 
has been favourably reported on. In most of the systems now under 
trial the draught is direct from swingle-trees hooked on to the splinter- 
bar. These can be quickly unhooked and slung on to a loop on the 
crupper, and the team is then free to walk away. 
A similar method is applicable to shaft-draught, and even if the 
swingle-tree break, there remain the trace loops as at present. 
Signals and Whistle. 
Silent drill has been thoroughly adopted, and very few objections are 
now raised to it. The whistle is used much less, and only to call 
attention to important orders. A universal pattern of whistle would 
be an advantage now that its use is generally adopted. 
Laying. 
The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Layers were distinguished by red, blue, and 
white bands worn on the left arm, and a different set was employed at 
each series of the day’s practice. The chief causes of slow laying were 
a too great attention to line when firing shrapnel; and, when using 
Scott’s sight, the difficulty of getting the object within the field of the 
glass. To obviate the latter, the layer should, as soon as his gun is in 
action, point out the target to his No. 2, who will then be able to align 
the gun at once. Some Battery Commanders consider that it would be 
advantageous to retain the services of the No. 1 of the sub-division as 
gun-captain, giving him the duties of No. 2 with the addition of com¬ 
mand. This would ensure better supervision, leave No. 1 to bring his 
gun into action, and avoid the irritation sometimes felt by a sergeant 
who is not selected as a gun-layer, and accordingly has to be com¬ 
manded in action by his junior. A drill has been proposed to test this 
principle, and is now being tried. But the sergeant, being of course 
one of the most intelligent and physically capable men of the battery, 
will probably continue to be a layer until it is ordered that the No. 1 
of a sub-division is not to be selected. 
Banging. 
Ranging was mostly carried out with percussion shrapnel, which 
answered well at short and medium ranges, up to about 2500 yards, 
unless the light was particularly unfavourable. About two-thirds of the 
ranges were found with percussion shrapnel. It was compulsory to 
use the small percussion fuze for ranging, and the same shell with time 
and percussion fuze appeared to range somewhat differently-—at all 
events, it was suspected of doing so, and that is nearly as bad. The 
range-finders were more often than not within the short bracket limit, 
but were not always trusted. At anyrate, they were much nearer the 
right range than any unassisted estimate could be. The range-takers 
of the Horse Artillery Division had the mekometer, which was much 
preferred to the telemeter. It is quicker than the telemeter and just 
as accurate, and enables the range-takers to remain more under cover 
while at work. The most accurate range-takers of all were the range- 
