COMMENDED ESSAY, 1899. 
416 
command during the drill season, just when their services with their 
companies are most required, and these in consequence often have to 
go through their annual course with only three, or sometimes only two 
officers available. It is unnecessary to point out the evil consequen¬ 
ces of this state of things. Much might be done towards remedying it 
by reducing the number of courses at Woolwich and giving local in¬ 
struction instead, and by seconding officers attending courses of over 
six months’ duration. 
Putting aside the Staff College, Advanced and Firemaster’s classes, 
which are not purely for Garrison Artillery Instruction, with the re¬ 
mark that all officers attending these should be seconded, we have 
the following: — 
1. Short Course at Shoeburyness. 
This has of late years been for the training of young officers on first 
appointment; these as before mentioned, should be put through their 
preliminary work under local Instructors of Gunnery. The course 
should, however, be kept up in a modified form for the instruction of 
officers at single company stations, who have had little opportunity of 
obtaining the necessary knowledge of coast and siege work, and of 
those who have returned from stations abroad or who for any reason 
may require rubbing up in their work^ It should last about six weeks, 
one month being at Shoeburyness when they should run through drill, 
shifts and siege work with the Short Course non-commissionedofhcers 
and a fortnight at Harwich or Golden Hill when they could be taught 
coast defence tactics, the working of range instruments and search 
lights, practice with quick-firing guns, etc. Harwich would be an ex¬ 
cellent place for this instruction, having various types of ordnance in 
casemates and open works, and being typical of defence against 
torpedo-boats, etc. 
2. Long Course. 
This is by far the most important Garrison Artillery Course, and it 
should hold the same position with us that the Staff College holds 
with the rest of the army and the Gunnery and Torpedo Courses in 
the Navy, and only specially selected men who are keen about and 
well up in their work, and are likely to make good instructors and 
staff officers, should be allowed to join. 
Its special objects should be the higher education of officers gener¬ 
ally and the training of f ‘ specialists ”, Instructors in Gunnery and 
Instructors in Range Finding, who can in turn instruct locally. 
Instructors of Gunnery should have a special knowledge of the at¬ 
tack and defence of coast forts, of the details of the mechanism of the 
various guns and mountings, should be well up in siege and field artill¬ 
ery, and be capable of instructing in steam and hydraulics. 
Instructors of Range Finding should deal with all instruments and 
electrical appliances connected with finding and passing ranges, in¬ 
cluding their application on the gun floor, and should be qualified to 
instruct in electricity. 
The duties of Instructor in Gunnery and Instructor in Range Find- 
