THE ROYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION". 
351 
Prussian Guard corps, and we were much surprised to see what 
well-trained soldiers could be turned out in three years. The men 
are not so well set up as English or French soldiers; but it must be 
remembered that their service is very short. The officers and sergeants 
are very smart and well set up. The officers are a strikingly fine 
body of men. 
The morning after the review all Berlin seemed to be on the 
move, as the whole of the Guards marched out early to their various 
rendezvous, about twelve miles from Berlin, for a week’s campaign 
in the open, without tents and in war-service order. 
Maps and Plans.—General Idea . 
We joined the head-quarters staff at about ten o’clock next morn¬ 
ing, at an appointed place, at some village; and here maps of the 
surrounding country, and the printed u general idea ” of the day’s 
work, were distributed to the officers. 
I must mention here that at the field manoeuvres every officer— 
from general to lieutenant—carries his map in his belt, which is 
consulted at every halt, and at every opportunity. And every officer 
carries an opera glass, the maps and glasses being considered much 
more essential than swords. And in this particular we might, with 
great advantage, at once , and without further delay, take a leaf out of 
the Prussian book. 
In Abyssinia, most of the regiments packed up their red sashes, 
and substituted opera glasses of all colours and sizes; so, in prac¬ 
tice, the opera glass is carried; and therefore it might be well to 
recognise it at once as an absolute and necessary part of an officer’s 
dress. 
When we arrived on the ground occupied by our army, the other 
army was miles away, quite out of sight; and it was only known 
that the enemy was trying to outflank our army and seize the road 
to Berlin. 
Cultivated Land. 
The country about Berlin is sandy, with plenty of villages, woods 
and ditches, small lakes, and very few hedges; the fields being open 
and large, but defined by ditches, instead of hedges. All fields 
under cultivation which may be damaged by the passage of troops 
are marked with poles, and bunches of straw stuck upon the top of 
them. This means, “ Avoid this field, if you can; ” but if unavoid¬ 
able, the troops pass where they please ; and at the end of the day’s 
work all damage done to property is assessed by a board of staff 
officers and civilians, and the amount paid by the government. This 
is the law of the land; and it is done in a regular and methodical 
way, and, I heard, did not cost very much, as in the autumn, when 
the crops are down, there is not much to injure. 
I cannot myself see why some attempt should not be made in this 
neighbourhood to introduce some such plan, as the surrounding neigh¬ 
bourhood, farms, and estates must benefit largely by the cantonment 
of such a large body of troops in Aldershot ; and therefore the land- 
