ANNUAL REPORT, 1877 - 8 . 
351 
and disarm tlie less or more open opposition wliicli is usually offered to 
proposals whose drift and purpose is imperfectly understood. 
6. The subject selected for the Prize Essay of the year was—- 
“The Role of Horse Artillery in a Campaign.’ 5 
Lieut.-General Sir J. H. Lefroy, Col. Saunders, and Lieut.-Col. 
Whinyates, were good enough to act as Referees. 
Eleven Essays were submitted for competition. 
The report of the Referees is as follows :— 
“ The undersigned, having been selected by the Committee of the R. A. Institution 
as Judges, and having carefully perused the several Essays on ‘The Role of Horse 
Artillery in a Campaign,’- are agreed in the following award for the Gold Medal, 
viz.:— 
“ The Essay bearing the motto 
‘ Taliessin is our fullest throat of song.’ 
“ We recommend that a Silver Medal he awarded to the Essay bearing the motto 
‘ The strength of field artillery is not to be estimated by the number of guns, &c.’ 
“ We desire to make honorable mention of the three following Essays—viz., those 
bearing the mottoes 
‘Et celer et audax. 3.’ 
‘ AtCV apL ( TT € V € LV , &c.’ 
‘ La critique est aisee &c.’ 
“ There are three Essays bearing the motto ‘ Et celer et audax,’ which we have 
numbered respectively 1, 2, 3. 
“J. H. LEEROY, Lieut.-General. 
“ W r . B. SAUNDERS, Colonel R.H.A. 
“ E. T. WHINYATES, Lieut.-Col. R.H.A.” 
[On opening the sealed envelope bearing the motto “ Taliessin, &c.,” 
Lieut. J. K. Trotter was found to be the author of the Essay. 
As regards the Essay recommended by the Referees for the silver 
medal, no means of ascertaining the author* exists; the Essay not 
having been accompanied by the sealed envelope containing his name. 
The meeting resolved, however, that the silver medal should be pre¬ 
sented to the author as soon as he could be identified. 
The three Essays honourably mentioned by the Referees were dis¬ 
covered to be by Lieut. E. R. Elies, Captains Ollivant and Rawes, 
respectively.] 
7. The Committee have to acknowledge a very valuable present of 
Books, chiefly relating to Natural History, from Sir Edward Sabine. 
The present arrived at a particularly opportune moment, when the 
Committee were specially occupied upon the improvement of the Library, 
chiefly in the direction of Natural History and Science. 
* The author has been since ascertained to be Lieut. Howie. 
