DISCUSSION ON ARTILLERY. S3 
single round of common shell while we were up there. That was due 
to the Khalifa's tactics being different to the expected. 
With regard to the fuzes, I should like to mention that a much 
simpler one could be made as regards the setting. For instance, in 
the Egyptian Army they have a German fuze, which, so far as I remem¬ 
ber, requires merely turning to the necessary graduation and not 
clamping. The difference of time taken in setting would be very great 
I imagine. The air in the Sudan is very clear, and I was able to see 
nearly every round that was fired from my two guns in its path and 
in its final burst; of course that helped the subalterns a great deal 
with regard to deflection; you were able to judge the amount of 
deflection to put on with great nicety and you could follow your own 
shell. 
As regards the ranges we fired at, our first range was at 2,700 
yards; the second range was at 1,700 yards at a very fine artillery 
target, namely, a large mass of troops coming over a gentle slope of 
ground at 1,700 yards. Our next objective was at 900 yards, when 
we practically surprised a number of Dervishes, who we afterwards 
heard were the remains of the Dervishes that the 21st Lancers had 
made their memorable charge through. These I may say were com¬ 
pletely mown down by our fire. After that our next range was at 
2,000 yards, and from there, and our last position, when firing at the 
Dervishes in full flight, the range varied between 2,000 and 3,000 
yards. Those were all our ranges. 
I am afraid I cannot tell you very much of the effect of our shells; 
this I can merely mention from what I was told. And firstly, I should 
like to make one remark, which is, that on the day of the battle when 
we were in Omdurman, it was considered to have been a gunner's day, 
whereas in London now, day by day, it is turned into an infantry day. 
In consequence of this, I am perhaps somewhat shy in talking of the 
effect of the fire. As I said, on the battle-field we considered that we 
had done excellent practice, and that we had, as many people said, 
wiped out the Dervishes, and I can quote remarks from many infantry 
officers who were up there, who told me we had spoilt their show and 
not allowed them to have a look in at all. Still the papers are against 
one. 
I do not think, Sir, there is anything more I can tell you in that 
way. 
The Chairman :—Could you observe with your glasses yourself at 
all the effect of your fire ? 
Captain Nicholson :— Certainly Sir, you could see the shells with 
the naked eye; you could see the Dervishes at 2,700 yards, and you 
could see the path of the shell from the moment practically when it 
left the gun until it burst in the air or on the ground as the case 
might be. 
The Chairman :—Could you see the effect after it burst ? 
Captain Nicholson :—What I tell you in that way is this. Sir. I 
must tell you that the Dervishes advanced through ground of flat 
sand with a certain number of bushes about it. The first we saw of 
