SILVER MEDAL PRIZE ESSAY, 1879. 
575 
Carbines appear to be a ratber useless article of equipment for 
artillery. The number might advantageously be reduced to six per 
battery, for camp guard duties. I know of no instance in which they 
have ever been used defensively by artillery. 
General Remarks. 
Let us endeavour, then, not to fall behind other nations in artillery 
matters. We should remember that in the last few years most of the 
great powers of Europe have had the advantage of practical experience 
in wars carried on against civilised foes, whilst all our campaigns since 
the Crimea have been against uncivilised enemies, and have been 
mostly of a special character, in several cases requiring special equips 
ment—as in Abyssinia, Ashantee, and the present war at the Cape* 
Under these circumstances we are rather apt to lose sight of our 
requirements for a European war. Improvement can only be effected 
by keeping a close watch on what is going on amongst our neighbours, 
not only in time of war, but also in time of peace; for it is the 
experiences of war, studied and matured in time of peace, that lead to 
successive improvements in arms of precision. A nation strives to 
remedy any defects which have made themselves felt during a cam¬ 
paign in the succeeding period of peace. 
Although we have been happily saved from such experiences, why 
