84 
DISCUSSION ON ARTILLERY. 
these Dervishes was their banners and the battery was kept firing at 
these banners as they advanced. As shell after shell was fired these 
banners fell down and the next men picked them up again and on 
they advanced ; it was the same thing over and over again. 
The Chairman :—And when you got to the close range of 900 yards 
that you spoke of, you could see, I suppose, very clearly what the 
effect was ? 
Captain Nicholson :—The shell burst right in front and they were 
practically mown down. 
The Chairman :—You could see the men go down ? 
Captain Nicholson :—Yes Sir. 
The Chairman :—But not with the longer ranges. 
Captain Nicholson :—No Sir, but I think that was principally on 
account of the bush. I saw the banners go down. 
Colonel C. M. H. Downing : — How many rounds were fired 
at the 900 yards ? 
Captain Nicholson :— I do not think we fired more than 15 rounds, 
and we considered there were about 500 men there, between 500 and 
600 men. 
The Chairman I suppose it was rapid fire ? 
Captain Nicholson :—Throughout the day, Sir, we fired practically 
section fire after the start ; we started with sub-division fire; the 
range was found at the third attempt and the fuze at the second, and 
immediately the remaining guns were fired off and section fire started 
at once. When we came into action at the short range of 900 yards 
we had just come over the crest of a hill, and the order was given for 
section fire at once. 
Lieut.-Colonel Elmslie :—Without ranging ? 
Captain Nicholson :—Without ranging. 
The Chairman : —That was at short range ? 
Captain Nicholson :—At short range, Sir. Have you anything 
more to ask, Sir ? 
The Chairman :—No thank you, I am very much obliged to you 
(applause). Will any one ask any questions ? 
Colonel F. G. Slade, c.b. :—Might I ask whether the fuze that 
Captain Nicholson spoke of was the fuze fired by the Maxim-Norden- 
feldt 12J-pr. 
Captain Nicholson :—The fuze I am talking of is the one of the so- 
called Maxim quick-firing guns. 
Lieut.-Colonel H. B. Jeffreys Are any figures available as to the 
rate of fire obtainable at any time. 
Captain Nicholson :— I cannot tell you that. 
Major F. H. Crampton :— I should like to ask whether any difficulty 
was experienced in keeping the guns run up ? We heard on the last 
occasion that there was great difficulty experienced by one battery. 
Captain Nicholson :—With reference to that question, I may tell 
you that at our first position the ground was fairly hard sand covered 
with small stones. We fired on an average something over fifty rounds 
per gun and during that time my two guns were run up on three 
