160 COAST ARTILLERY IN ACTION. 
he do so? Let us look at fig. 4, which is perhaps an extreme, but at 
Fia. 4. 
TARGET APPROACHING. 
the same time quite a possible case: it is there seen that the disturb- 
ing causes are not constant in their effect, and are sometimes cumulative, 
sometimes conflicting. Even if we had to deal with “travel” only, I 
do not think very good results would be obtained by correction shot by 
shot: we have got to divorce ourselves from the idea, that rules applic- 
able to target practice are any good on service. 
I think that when the corrections for tide and powder are necessary 
they should be dealt with in the elevation given to the gun ; that is, by 
some mechanical means, either applied by clinometer or index plate: 
the former can of course always be eliminated by using Case I., but I 
should be loath to give up the many advantages of quadrant elevation. 
General J. B. Richardson, Captain P. J. R. Crampton and, I believe, 
others have written on this subject, which certainly wants working out. 
The corrections for travel should be, if possible, embodied i the 
range given to the guns. This can be done, I think, simply enough 
when using the position-finder, but with the depression range-finder it 
is not so easy. At one time we had “fighting books” with tables 
drawn out for this purpose: these tables, accurately calculated on 
assumptions which could hardly be made correctly, are things of the 
past, and we have drums which at all events are logical in their work- 
ing; the first idea of their principle was due, as far as I know, to Capt. 
A. G. Scott, R.A.; but even these would be difficult to use in action, if 
the targets had speed and there was much smoke about. A duty so 
difficult, and for which no thoroughly satisfactory mechanical aid is 
