1 %~ 
PRECIS 
AND 
TRANSLATION. 
“REVIEW.” 
NOTES ON MOUNTAIN ARTILLERY. 
BY 
COLONEL D. MANUEL SALAZAR, 
Of the Spanish Artillery . 
REVIEWED BY 
LIEUT.-COLONEL J. C. DALTON, R.A. 
As tlie author says in his preface, the main object of this book is to reunite in one 
small volume a number of odds and ends of information and practical details which 
many of them could not well be included in the tactical regulations, and that this 
book is meant, therefore, to act as a supplement to the latter. 
As he says, the Mountain Artillery in .Spain is in peace-time kept at a very low 
establishment, and of late there have been in the entire Peninsula only two 
regiments and a few batteries in Cuba and Phillipines. Therefore, as it would be 
necessary greatly to augment this branch of the Regiment in case of war, Colonel 
Salazar thinks it advisable to collect in a small compass a number of precepts and 
useful details as to Mountain Artillery and has arranged them with regard to not 
only the regulation batteries of six guns but to sections of two guns and batteries 
of four guns—such as now exist in Cuba. 
Spain may be said to be the natural home of Mountain Artillery. Both its 
conformation (in many parts) its climate, its inhabitants and even its want of 
carriage roads make it peculiarly suitable for pack transport. It breeds a splendid 
race of mules and the nation thoroughly understands the mule and his manage¬ 
ment. Therefore, any treatise on'Mountain Artillery by Spanish officers who 
devote themselves specially to this arm, is pretty sure to be worth study. 
Colonel Salazar, who commands a regiment of Mountain Artillery at Barcelona, 
is a recognised authority on the subject and writes from long experience. 
He divides his work into ten chapters and an appendix. 
Chapter I. deals with * general considerations ’ as regards maUriel and personnel, 
loads, mules, organisation and instruction. Pie lays down the following conditions 
for Mountain Artillery, viz :— 
Gun to have a simple breech-action capable of rapid loading. Maximum 
weight to be 100 k.g. (220 lbs.). 
Calibre (maximum) 3". 
Carriage to be of simple and resisting elements, easy to load and unload and 
with a maximum weight of 170 kil. (375 lbs.). 
Projectiles all of equal weight and not exceeding 8*9 kil. (10 lbs.). 
12. VOI/. XXIV. 
