MOUNTAIN ARTILLERY DRILL, 1837 . 
139 
The loads 1 2 are as follows (saddles not included) :— 
The howitzers with their bearers and side arms each ... 
Two beds, each 105lbs.,entrenching tools, etc., 48lbs... 
A pair of ammunition boxes ... 
a m i i laboratory boxes containing spherical case“| 
LBS. 
291 
258 
298 
298 
245 
221 
180 
41 
45 
35 
45 
shot 24 
„ „ „ boxes with reserve powder, etc. 
„ ,, „ ,, ,, 12 common shell each ... 
Three tents (dry) 159 lbs., six kettles 15lbs.' 
„ water buckets 6 lbs. .. 
The gun saddles weigh about (each) 
,, bed ^ „ ,, ,, ... ... 
,, ammunition box-saddles ,, ... ... 
„ ,, ,, ,, (with leather). 
The laboratory boxes are cased on the muleteer ammunition saddles. 
The mules must be distributed according to their condition and 
power; in general their loads will not be changed 3 except when cir¬ 
cumstances render ifc necessary, but all the leading mules of a division 
must be tried round to ascertain what they are most fit for and to 
accustom them to any service they may be required to perform. 
The gun beds and ammunition mules must never carry anything 
beyond their assigned loads, which rather exceed what animals of 
ordinary strength are able during the continued marches of troops to 
sustain. 
To assist the gun mules, two spare or second gun mules are allotted 
to each division, and in long marches the former are always to be 
relieved and on no account suffered to tire. As a general rule the 
spare gun mules carry no burden whatever, 3 but in a case of want of 
transport for bread or corn (which articles are alone to be permitted 
to be loaded on them), 240 lbs. may be carried among them in loads 
not exceeding 80 lbs.; but this burden may be instantly distributed 
should the mules be wanted. 
The mule carrying the reserve powder must be chosen out of the 
best of the ammunition mules, and no additional load is ever to be placed 
on it. 4 
A provision mule may carry two days* meat and wine and one day's 
bread for 50 men, and a forage mule one day's barley for the whole 
battery. 
The battery carries seven tents, viz. : one for the officers, four for 
the detachments, one for the muleteers and one for the reserve, with 
one folding water bucket, and two infantry kettles per tent. 5 
1 The weight of the loads are much about the same as at the present time, slightly in excess in 
some cases ; the gun mule was too heavily loaded by 20 lbs. 
2 We must hear in mind this was for the climate of the northern coast of Spain and not for a 
tropical climate, so a relief line possibly unnecessary (see later on, “relief to gun undes ”). 
3 What a happy contrast to our present system in which the so-called relief lin Is but com¬ 
paratively slightly less weighted than the gun line itself. 
4 The reason of this selection is not quite obvious. 
5 No mention of tent lanterns. Perhaps, as at the present day, there was no rea’iy serviceable 
lantern giving a good light and at the same time easily portable and not reacily broken in 
transport and inexpensive. 
19 
