INCIDENTS OF BUSI WARFARE. 93 
many dead to carry away. He could only repeat what he said and advise the 
younger officers to look up all they possibly could. If he related any of his own 
experiences it would only take valuable time. 
Cotonet ADAm wished to say a few words upon what he considered would be 
of importance in connection with bush warfare. His remarks would be short and 
confined to three points. The first was this: if they turned back to what the 
Russians did in the Caucasus and what the I'rench did in Algeria they would find 
that in every case the forces had to be assisted by friendly natives. These natives 
were acquainted with all the features of their country and it was always advisable 
to employ men who were acquainted with the ways and customs of the enemy. 
The next was one that he trusted would soon be remedied. If they looked back 
to the history of their past wars, one was struck at once by the want of a corps 
of pioneers which could have rendered an immense amount of assistance. He 
need not tell them of the work of the 32nd Pioneers at Chitral, and he only 
trusted that the time would not be long before they saw a strong corps of 
pioneers attached to the British Army, not only soldiers but civil engineers. ‘‘ The 
spirit of the age runs into division of labour, and of professions into branches. 
The engineer now-a-days is no longer a general factotum but either a bridge, a 
mining, a railway or an electrical engineer. This applies in my humble opinion 
just as much to military as to civil engineering, and the former should be split up 
into submarine mining, electrical, fortification, building, ete. departments, the 
officers being kept as much as possible for good and all in the various branches. 
But besides the above, there is a minor branch which hitherto has not received 
in the British Army the attention it deserved—it is that of pioneering—I am 
strongly in favour of a strong corps of pioneers being raised. They should be 
trained— 
Ist. In road making through jungly, hilly and marshy countries. 
Qnd. In laying rails and the general rough work of a railway. 
3rd, Rough bridging with such materials as are available close at hand, 
erection of landing piers at a place of disembarkation, rough rafts, 
cask pontoons, etc. 
4th. Rough building of huts and houses at a base, with quarrying, brick 
making, brick burning, well sinking, and 
5th. Lastly the construction of field works. 
Summed up I would take an excellent little manual published many years ago 
by Captain Forde, Madras Engineers, as a type of the instruction required. There 
is also a very good manual used at the American Academy at West Point which 
could serve as a guide. 
If the corps were to be raised, I would, heretical though you may consider my 
views and opinions, make it a point not to officer it from the regular forces but 
take the officers at first exclusively from—- 
lst. Engineers who have been employed on railway, dock and other works 
in England. 
2nd. From the same men employed at the Cape, in Canada and in India, 
3rd. From deserving non-commissioned officers of the Royal Engineers, 
with one or two from Garrison Artillery and Marines. 
You may perhaps say, that’s a curious jumble. It may be so but none the less 
-I think the system would work well if you took care to select your officers and 
men, 
