3 
kinds of powder, there would then be a nice assortment of different patterns of 
cartridge, smoky, smokeless, noisy, &c. The equipment of a few men with a 
powder to be used only in exceptional cases would be impracticable, for they 
would for the most part be mere idle spectators of the fight, and an untimely 
use of their ammunition might not be preventible. If each man were to be 
given cartridges of different descriptions, the most terrible confusion and 
muddle would be unavoidable, and in most cases the opposite of what was desired 
would be attained. The smoke or vapour, whenever it may be desirable to 
create it, must be obtained in the English fashion, but, indeed, it is difficult to 
believe that the “ smoke attack ” was ever seriously intended. 
And for the purposes of a really unmistakeable signal shot other ways can be 
found. With regard to this it should be noticed that every smokeless powder is 
not at the same time noiseless, for example the Austrian smokeless powder gives 
a sharp sound not easily confused with any other noise. 
The use of the old powder will, therefore, henceforward be restricted to the 
blank cartridges fired on gala occasions, the blank cartridges for field manoeuvres 
will have to be filled with the new powder, and only if the “ energy ” of the two 
kinds of powder were exactly the same, could the stores of the old powder be used 
up for target practice, 
With the artillery it is rather a different matter. No doubt it is also a 
tremendous advantage for Field Artillery not to be prevented from laying by the 
smoke of their, own guns, and they must pay for it by the corresponding dis¬ 
advantage of the difficulty of discovering a hostile artillery who are also firing- 
smokeless powder. But there may be cases in which the evolution of a thick 
cloud of smoke would be of special advantage. 
For instance, the hostile artillery has ranged itself perfectly, and is carrying on 
a most destructive fire. It is at last desired to withdraw, or to take up another 
position unnoticed, or at least to hide for a time the evil plight of the battery 
from the enemy. 
A few rounds from the battery, and a sharp lively fire from a proportion of the 
guns would soon veil it in a thick cloud of smoke and conceal the fact from the 
enemy that the remaining guns were carrying out a change of position, or that 
only one half of the guns were still in action. Or it might be of especial impor- 
tance to the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief to know whether the artillery 
of one or the other wing, or of a corps sent against the enemy’s flank, were 
effectively engaged. The field telegraph, perhaps, had not been able to establish 
itself, and gallopers would bring the news a great deal too late. A few shots 
with smoky powder would give the desired intelligence at once. If the hostile 
artillery had ranged themselves the uprising columns of smoke would not betray 
the position any more. However, as a precaution, the pre-arranged signal shots 
could be given by some guns stationed at another point, by which means the 
opponent might possibly be deceived for a few minutes as to the real position of 
the guns. In other cases also guns fired with smoky powder would be the best 
and simplest kind of signal to give, and this also is the only powder that could 
in reason be used for saluting purposes. 
In the Field Artillery there are no drawbacks to the use of cartridges filled 
with the old powder. They could be placed in separate partitions in the ammuni¬ 
tion wagons, and would only be handed out to the “ serving numbers ” on receipt 
of an order from the Cbmmanding Officer. Of course there would only be a 
small number of such cartridges. Perhaps in most of the foregoing cases some 
means might be found which would enable the old powder to be dispensed with. 
But in one case, the latter, as things stand at present, can certainly not be 
dispensed with. One has only to add some composition to -the smokeless powder 
to make it into a smoky powder, or to use together with it some preparation 
which will evolve a thick smoke, that would be a more complicated and less 
reliable solution of the difficulty—but I particularly refer to the bursting charge 
