THE ROYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION. 
187 
It is best to procure the range-finder from an instrument maker, but to 
make the boxes and the V’s in an arsenal; however, with the 20 sets 
of range-finders, at least one set of | fs and boxes should be procured, one 
pair of spare steel arms, and short telescopes, and some spare screws and 
drills. 
When the instruments are made their distribution must be con¬ 
sidered. 
I find that the natural impulse is to distribute one set to each battery, 
that is the 20 sets to 20 batteries, this, however, I consider a mistake. 
The best plan will be, if there is a large camp which has a good 
artillery practice ground, to send the whole of the 20 sets to it; if there 
is no practice ground near the camp, then to send 4 sets to the practice 
ground, 12 sets to the camp, to be distributed among 6 batteries, that is 
2 sets to each battery, and to leave 4 sets with one officer. 
' This officer should devote himself to becoming well acquainted with 
the instruments, and although he will probably be a young officer, he 
should be allowed to correspond directly with the battery officers who have 
charge of the range-finders. 
Against this, it may be urged that when the extreme simplicity of the 
range-finders' is fully recognized, these precautions will appear superfluous, 
nevertheless, if followed in part, or altogether, they will facilitate 
matters. 
This officer should get an instrument maker to take to pieces one set 
of range-finders, in order that he may become thoroughly acquainted with 
its construction. 
The second he should use to practice “adjustments” upon. 
The use of the other two will be as reserves. 
In some of the batteries a trifling accident will happen to a range¬ 
finder, which probably could be rectified by a shoeing smith in half-an- 
hour. The battery commander will report this to the officer told off for 
the special duty, who will send him a reserve range-finder, and receive 
back the other one; he will then ascertain what is the injury, and 
make it good, and give instructions how to repair, and avoid a similar 
injury for the future. 
It may here be said that unless the wires break (and these never are 
injured), or the glasses are cracked, a blacksmith will be able to effect 
any repairs rendered necessary. 
It is not at all necessary that the battery officers should understand 
the interior of the range-finders, but certainly one officer in the artillery 
should do so. 
The 12 sets of range-finders should be divided between horse artillery, 
field batteries, batteries of position, gatling or mitrailleuse batteries, and 
mountain batteries. 
When the V’s are fitted on, the special officer should take a pair of 
each guns, in order to place the gun mark on the H line of the top of the 
rollers, this mark varies for each description of gun, but is constant for 
all guns of the same description (provided that the distance from the rear 
V to the muzzle is kept the same in all guns of the same class). The 
officer takes a pair of guns, draws them up about 40 yds. apart, so that a 
line joining the breeches of the two guns is nearly perpendicular to their 
line of fire. 
