THE ROYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION. 
493 
The depth of excavation in front must be 3 ft., sloping up to a depth 
of 18 ins. in rear. When this depth has been reached and the interior 
of the pit clear, a slope of 1 in 1 is made in rear into the pit to serve 
as a ramp, and the inner banquette ledge of the sword’s blade length 
is halved and sloped down to form the interior slope of the pit. A 
small embrasure is formed, with a breadth at the neck of 15 ins. and 
a slight outward splay at the mouth. The pit is now ready for service. 
In stiff soils the breadth of the banquette ledge may be reduced, and 
the solid interior slope of the pit cut down perpendicularly. 
The following table will show an abstracted account of the works :—• 
rrl tTrid 
No. of 
subdivision. 
No. of men 
t work per gu 
Time occupie< 
in constructio 
after the orde 
ommence wor 
Nature of 
ground. 
Nature of 
cover. 
Interior 
accommodation. 
os 
2 i 
minutes. 
1 
9 
43 ^ 
Detachments 
2 
9 
50 
Light, arable, 
sandy, and 
covered with 
totally invisi¬ 
ble from the 
Ample in every 
5 
9 
52 
> 
front parapet, 
18 in. thick at. 
case. 
bent grass. 
top. 
6 
| 
9 
41 _ 
| 
An experimental pit was made on the previous day by some of the 
officers, N.C. officers, and volunteers of the battery in 58 minutes; but 
this was finished off with care, the slopes being neatly smoothed and 
dressed. As a field work, it was not more efficient than those mentioned 
above. Two mounted detachments of six men each were moved to the 
front, under an officer, with orders to advance to the attack as cavalry, 
and furnish objects to point the guns at. They advanced in line, with 
an interval of 100 yds. between each, and orders were given to the 
Nos. 1 to point their guns on each party in succession from right to 
left, and back from left to right. 
Firing was ordered to be commenced as the object party came into 
sight on rounding a hillock about 900 yds. distant, and five deliberate 
rounds per gun were fired before the party came within 250 yds. of the 
leading guns. This shows that the pits were quite roomy and commo¬ 
dious enough for quick firing. 
The rapidity of fire was then increased, and ten rounds per gun were 
fired, in order to test the stability of the parapets and embrasures, 
which on examination were found to be in good order, the earth stand¬ 
ing firmly and apparently little affected by the concussion. 
The officer in command of the mounted object party reported that 
the entrenched detachments were quite invisible to him during the 
whole of his advance. At the termination of the firing, the guns were 
easily run back for limbering up. 
