572 
THE EQUIPMENT OE FIELD ARTILLERY. 
squadrons, infantry companies, guns, detachments, &c. These frames 
should fit over a little carrier, which would he made to move over a 
prepared path 20 or 25 yards long, or even shorter. 
The path could he made in two ways. (1) It might he made of 
polished wood upon which the carrier would slide, being drawn hy 
a silken cord. The objection to this is that there would he a certain 
amount of difficulty in levelling it. (2) The path might consist of 
water. If a Y-shaped trough were constructed in three lengths, and 
the carrier made in the form of a long narrow boat, there would he no 
trouble in levelling, and the target could always he used with facility, 
except in the case of a high wind. 
The targets would he drawn hy silk cords, which would pass over 
a system of three or four pulleys, which would he provided at both 
ends of the path, so that the target could be made to move either 
from right to left or left to right. It would he a simple calculation to 
determine the requisite weights to he suspended from the cord, in order 
to give the various speeds, required. A clockwork arrangement would 
do equally well, hut it would be more expensive, liable to go out of 
order, and not so simple. 
By placing the path in different ways, objects moving directly or 
obliquely across the range could be represented. When the path is 
set up as required, the mode of procedure would be as follows:—A man 
stands at each end of the path: the target is drawn to one end, and 
the weight corresponding to the required speed is suspended from the 
cord. The gun is brought into action, and, at the same time, the target 
is released. It begins to move along the path, and when the man 
laying the gun calls “ fire ;; the target is arrested in its course. This 
is effected by one of the men at the “path ” laying his finger on the 
silk cord which the carrier will draw after it, and which will serve to 
pull it back on its return journey. By looking over the gun the 
instructor can then observe what sort of shot is made. 
67. The same principle might be carried out with stationary 
targets. Representations of batteries, companies, gun-pits, and en¬ 
trenchments could be drawn on a scale, say, of ^ an d set up at yo the 
actual range from the guns. The eye would be greatly educated 
by this, and judging distance learnt. 
68 . What we would claim for the targets above described is that 
they would give practice in the barrack-square at objects that would be 
met with on service, a practice that our men seldom or never get; that 
they would interest them in their work, and give an appearance of 
reality to the drills; that they would educate the eye to the appearance 
of various objects at various ranges, and that, by using them with 
dummy shells, properly fuzed, we should daily carry on a practice in 
the barrack-square, the fruits of which we should reap on service. 
