532 
OKEHAMPTON EXPERIMENTS. 
It remained now to select suitable ground on Dartmoor; Colonel Wray and 
Major Noble were detailed for this duty. Dor reasons stated in tbeir report, 
the moor in the vicinity of Okehampton was preferred. The neighbourhood 
lies very high, and the climate is in consequence very bracing and healthy; 
there is also a constant and abundant supply of excellent water, and to these 
two circumstances the absence of sickness among men and horses during the 
encampment was mainly due. Direct railway communication with Plymouth 
and Exeter proved important in connection with the stores and supplies 
required for the troops and the experiments; and although the railways had 
also the effect of inducing a constant influx of visitors to witness the experi¬ 
ments, such influx caused no inconvenience, the public readily complying 
with all orders issued to prevent danger or delay. 
The camp was situated on enclosed ground held under lease (a moderate 
rent only was asked), and the shooting ranges were on ground belonging to 
the Duchy of Cornwall, which was readily lent by H.R.H. the Prince of 
Wales. Of the nature of the ground over which the practice was carried on, 
more will be said hereafter in describing the experiments, and in alluding to 
the instructional advantages to the men afforded by the month's encampment. 
It may be merely said here that the moor is very undulating, with occasional 
steep hills or tors, covered with boulders of rock, and that the ground was 
generally soft, and abounded with small but not dangerous bogs. The surface 
growth is chiefly heather and rushes; on the drier parts of the moor there is an 
abundance of furze, but there is a total absence of wood, except in localities 
where practice could not be carried out. 
6. On the 17th July 1875, it was reported to the Quartermaster-General 
that all questions as to the use of the land had been satisfactorily arranged, 
and on the same day orders were sent to the General Officer Commanding 
in the Western District in accordance with the recommendations of the 
Committee. The batteries ordered to take part in the experiments were “ E " 
Battery “E” Brigade, Royal Horse Artillery, 9-pr. R.M.L. guns from Exeter, 
under the command of Major T. N. Holberton, and “C” Battery 25th 
Brigade, Royal Artillery, 16-pr. R.M.L. guns from Devonport, under the 
command of Major G. W. Borradaile. Half a battery of the 10th Brigade 
Garrison Artillery, under Captain A. J. Shuttleworth, was also detailed for 
duties in connection with the magazine, ranges, and targets. A descriptive 
list of the ammunition, targets, &c., will be found in the Appendix. 
7. The camp was formed on Monday, the 2nd August 1875, under the 
command of Lieut.-Colonel Tod Brown, C.B., Royal Horse Artillery. 
8. The experiments carried on by the Committee may be best considered 
by arranging them into five classes, into which they naturally resolve them¬ 
selves, viz.:— 
Class I.— The comparative value of various projectiles, 
n II.— The effective zone of artillery fire. 
a III.— The value of artillery fire against the most recent formations 
of infantry. 
a IY.— Special experiments, 
u Y.— Range finding. 
