SHOUT NOTES ON PROFESSIONAL SUBJECTS. 
41 
The Commanding Officer should be alone responsible to, and under the orders of 
the principal Commissariat officer. The corps should be organized and in working 
order before it embarked. The non-commissioned officers and men should be 
practised in fitting saddles, loads, &c. picketing and other useful work. 
Surplus saddles and all kinds of gear should be sent with the head quarters of 
the corps, and a staff of moochees, and blacksmiths, &c. 
The ships should be strongly and carefully fitted, and the animals should be 
daily groomed, attention paid to their food and watering. Each animal should have 
a separate stall, otherwise in bad weather there will be much loss amongst them. 
In China we used a light English built 4 wheeled wagon, and Maltese carts. 
In countries where the roads are tolerable they are, I think, preferable to pack 
animals, are more economical, and easily loaded. 
Each wagon was drawn by four mules or ponies, and carried 1500 lbs. The 
harness should be of the simplest and the stoutest materials. 
Cattle Transports. 
The mortality amongst the slaughter cattle and sheep brought to Talien-whan, 
for the use of the army, was excessive. Often one-third of each ship load died on 
the voyage, and the remainder were so poor as to be unfit for use. 
From enquiries I have learnt that both sheep and cattle on board ship require 
special care, in respect to their diet and watering. I would recommend when 
sheep and cattle are shipped by the Commissariat, that competent ship’s butchers 
be placed on board to look after and attend to them, at whatever price the services 
of such men may be obtained. 
37. Shrapnel Shell, v . Segment Shell. 
The following information is extracted from Yol. Y. Part 2 of the Reports and 
Proceedings of the O.S. Committee :— 
The results of practice at Shoeburyness with shrapnel shell for rifled guns are 
most satisfactory, and afford conclusive evidence of the formidable nature of the 
shrapnel shell. It is apparently most effective when burst within 100 yards of the 
target, and at about 10 feet above the plane, but its efficiency in the larger natures 
is still retained even when the burst takes place at so great a distance as 300 yards 
short of the object, a condition which the Committee believe would not be realized 
by projectiles constructed on the segment principle. 
A careful analysis of the results in reference to the practice with 7-in. breech¬ 
loading shrapnel and segment shell fired for direct comparison, and under conditions 
most favourable to each construction, shows that 3229 bullets and splinters of 
shells took effect, against 1102 segments and splinters of shell, the bullets however 
weighing only 1*2 oz. each, the segments 3*3 oz. each. 
If lodges and indents be disregarded in each case, the number of 1*2 oz. 
bullets or splinters which actually passed through 2-in. deal targets, was 2558 
from the 11 shrapnel shell, whereas the 11 segment shells furnished only 552 
segments and splinters. 
The Committee make the following recommendations :— 
(1) The immediate introduction of shrapnel shell and Boxer’s wood time 
fuzes, for all breech-loading guns. 
(2) The suspension of the manufacture of segment shell for all calibres. 
( 3 ) The future withdrawal from the service of the E time fuze so soon as the 
issue of shrapnel shell is completed. 
( 4 ) That the fuze holes of common shells for field calibres be assimilated to 
that of the shrapnel, so as to adapt them to take the same time fuze. 
