THE ROYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION. 
185 
No. 13. Store limber wagon body, pair of wheels, tents, &c. 
No. 14. Limber body of store wagon, and box, two pair of wheels. 
No. 15. Six vats equipment, tents, &c. 
No. 16. Ten boxes equipment, arm chest, &c. 
No. 17. Pour boxes do do. 
No. 18. Eight boxes do do. 
It will be observed from this list that more than its proper compli¬ 
ment was sent with the left-half-battery, the object of this being to 
make up loads of proper weight. 
The method of packing and lashing the various loads was so Method of 
simple that it requires but little explanation. Each of the sleds {2^ n g gand 
intended for a gun, limber body, or wagon body, was fitted with 
two four-inch pieces of timber laid along the whole length just inside 
the raves, and secured to the sled with a few small nails driven in 
at the ends. In these pieces mortises about two inches deep were 
cut to receive the axletree beds; these mortises being if possible 
directly over one of the benches (Eig. 6) of the sled. The sleds Preparation 
intended for the three guns, had an additional piece in front, supported 
by the two others, for the trail of the guns to rest on. This cross wagon 
piece was spiked down to the long pieces, and had two cleats nailed bodies - 
on to receive the trail, and prevent it moving laterally. The object 
of this arrangement was to distribute the weight evenly over the sled, 
and prevent too great a pressure at any particular point. 
The same arrangement was made for the wagon bodies; for the Packing 
limber bodies, two being carried on one sled, a double set of mortises ^i'J s agon 
had to be cut. The object of cutting the mortises directly over 
the benches, was to enable a single lashing to be passed round the 
axletree arms and the benches immediately under them. 
Had the mortises, and consequently the axletree arms, not been 
directly over the benches, a double lashing, one forwards and another 
backwards would have been necessary to prevent the carriage from 
moving backwards or forwards. But, in the arrangement made, only 
one lashing was required. 
When the sleds were prepared in the manner described, they were 
packed in a very short space of time, the wheelers of the battery 
making fresh sleds ready, while the others were being packed. The 
guns were run over the sleds from the rear, trail first; the wheels 
were then taken off, and the axletree bed and trail lowered into the 
mortises prepared for them. The tangent ring and sight, handle of 
breech screw, and elevating screw w T ere removed, and packed in a box 
placed under the muzzle; a small piece of lashing was passed round 
the breech and the trail, and then hay bands were twisted all round 
the gun to protect it from the weather. The only lashings required Lashings 
to keep the gun securely in its place on the sled were four; one for JJTgunsf 0 * 
each axletree arm, and one for each trail handle. The benches of the 
sled being the only part to which a lashing could be fastened, the 
axletree arms were lashed to the bench immediately underneath them 
(see Eig. 7), and the trail handles, projecting a good deal in front, 
