482 
TRACTION. 
wagon with six horses—which is set down as a clumsy antiquated 
affair.* 
At first sight, no doubt, such a change appears to have something 
of advantage in it, as in action the supply of ammunition to the gun, 
possible to some extent only now, could always be kept up by simply 
changing the gun-limber for another—though this would hardly seem 
to meet the views set forth in the “ Field Artillery Exercise,” where 
changing the limber to renew the supply of ammunition is laid down 
as exceptional, the ordinary method enjoined being to shift the ammu¬ 
nition from the full boxes of the wagon or its limber to the empty ones 
of the gun-limber. 
Examining, however, the question in detail, we find the balance of 
advantage much in favour of the wagon, thus :— 
The weight upon the shaft horse, in the wagon 60 lbs., becomes in 
the limber without a hind carriage 96 lbs., which weight each of three 
out of six horses, instead of but one, would be oppressed by; the same 
three horses, instead of but one, having also to bear the constant 
jerks communicated from the shafts—which, felt to some extent in a 
limbered wagon, without springs and with fixed shafts, are experienced 
in the highest degree in a two-wheeled carriage without springs. 
Again, with regard to load and motive power, we have the total weight 
of a wagon (9-pr.) packed equal to 40 cwts. 0 qrs. 2 lbs., while that of 
three limbers (9-pr.) is 3 (15 cwts. 3 qrs. 4 lbs.) = 47 cwts. 1 qr. 12 lbs., 
which—the number of rounds of ammunition carried being the same 
in both cases—gives 7 cwts. 1 qr. 10 lbs. of additional and perfectly 
useless load. In other words, while in the wagon the load per horse is 
747 lbs. and the tractive force required 87 lbs., for each limber these 
would be respectively 885*5 lbs. and 100 lbs. 
Lastly, the number of carriages of a battery would be increased by 
12, and the extent of the battery in column of route by 36 yds.f 
July, 1876. 
* The wagon can only be said to be out of place when issued to a battery on peace establishment. 
Would it not be better to place all wagons of horse and field artillery in reserve during peace, 
and in lieu—from the saving—keep up additional batteries of guns only ? 
f And query, where would the spare wheels and shafts be carried ? 
