662 
MEMORIAL DE ARTILLERlAo 
course there are taught how to throw up fortifications, hasty defences, 
to form siege batteries, and similar works. Various sorts of practice 
from different kinds of ordnance are carried on here, including ex¬ 
periments with machine guns. 
The Gun Factory is at Lisbon, and here guns, projectiles, fuzes 
(metal) and material for apparata and instruments of all kinds for 
military service are made. 
There is also a Small Arms Factory near the above, where everything 
connected with small arms is attended to, also a carriage department, 
so far as the wood work is concerned, also saddlery and harness 
department, and, lastly, cartridge case department, metallic and 
otherwise. 
Gunpowder WorJcs at Barcasena, 14 kilometres from Lisbon. 
Pyrotechnic Works at Braco de Prata, 7 kilometres from Lisbon. All 
incendiary compositions are made here, and the cartridges filled; also 
the fuzes and tubes driven. 
Lastly, the system of education for the Artillery, both to obtain a 
commission and afterwards, are described. The course is a severe 
one. There is also a theoretical and practical school specially for 
N.-Ca-officers. 
At page 149 of Memorial for February, 1881, there is a very sensible 
and practical article on “ Field Batteries in the Camp of Instruction 
and Practical School.” 
The author divides it into two heads; under the first he treats of 
theoretical instruction, and under the second of practical, viz.:—in 
shooting at targets, judging distances, &c. :—• 
1. He mentions having advocated these improvements in the present 
system of instruction a year ago, but apparently little has been done 
to carry out his propositions. 
He draws attention to the advice given at page 474 of the Memorial 
of last December, and quotes from the article therein on the Herman 
Artillery —“ Nothing should be taught that is not absolutely useful in 
time of war. Drills and practical work should be undertaken under 
circumstances as difficult, or if possible more so, than those that occur 
in war.” He criticises a number of apparently aimless manoeuvres 
practised in the Spanish Artillery of to-day, and complains that time 
spent over them is wasted. Amongst such, he mentions the manoeuvre 
of advancing and retiring in action, and remarks on it —“ One of the 
principles of modern warfare is, that batteries should change position 
as little as possible, and that once in a position, should remain in it as 
long as practicable; but, that if obliged to change it, the advance or 
retirement should never be for a shorter distance than 500 to 600 yds., 
and must be done in a manner not to hamper or affect in any way the 
fire of other batteries that may succeed to the position, &c.” 
He objects to such trivial details as dressing guns in action and 
when arriving in a position, and considers that officers get in the way 
of paying more attention to these minor matters than to the all im¬ 
portant ones of obtaining cover and good positions, to ensure safety and 
