COMMENDED ESSAY, 1899. 
4 i; 
ing, should be interchangeable, so that in case of absence of one of 
them, the instruction may still be carried on and the instruments look 
ed after; for this reason, we think that the long course certificate 
should be necessary for appointment as one or the other, and we 
would suggest the absorbtion of the special course of position finding 
into this course. If the previous suggestion of instructing all officers 
in Position Finding, giving explanations of the mechanism and of sett¬ 
ing up, were adopted, they would join with a good knowledge of these 
instruments and their working, and a very short time at the arsenal 
would suffice to teach them the details, tests, adjustments, and repairs 
necessary, the stay of the course at Woolwich being lengthened a fort¬ 
night or three weeks to allow of this. 
Officers joining the Long Course, whether from home or abroad, 
should be seconded. It should be a purely Garrison Artillery course 
and should not be open to officers of mounted branches; a great deal 
of time which is wasted in teaching the preliminary drills for the bene¬ 
fit of these and other officers not well up in their work, would thus be 
saved and could be devoted to training in the higher branches of 
coast defence and siege work, which should form the chief part of the 
instruction. 
Heavy shifts should be very thoroughly taught, especially as regards 
the calculation of strains, weight, power, etc. No time should be given 
up in working with obsolete or experimental mountings, but only the 
guns and carriages most likely to be met with, and the shifts most 
probably required under ordinary circumstances, should be explained. 
The course is a thoroughly practical one and gives an officer a good 
knowledge of all branches, the visits to Sheerness, Lydd and Golden 
Hill being particularly instructive. “ The advantages to the Course 
of these visits are great, in that a practical knowledge is gained of the 
methods of fighting forts of different types and practice from siege 
guns at Lydd is carried out under service conditions.”* 
3. Special Course of Position Finding. 
This as above suggested, should be abolished. 
4. Special Course of Steam, Hydraulics and Electricity. 
This might well be abolished. The greater number of officers on 
the subaltern’s list have already been educated in these subjects at 
the Academy, and of the remainder only a very small proportion at¬ 
tend the course at Woolwich. Forming, as it does, part of the Long 
Course, we have a number of officers with a special knowledge who 
should be able to teach others. 
Efficient instruction in electricity could be given locally by Instruct¬ 
ors in Range Finding who should hold courses periodically which all 
not well up in the subject should attend. 
Sufficient electrical apparatus for instructional purposes should be 
supplied to all the larger stations. The course should be confined to 
electricity in its general application to coast defence, and the text book 
* Colonel J. F. Bally, R.A. “-Report of School of Gunnery." 1894. 
