COMMENDED ESSAY, 1895. 361 
a certain amount of Battalion drill, must be allowed to give the 
Regiment a chance of making a creditable turn-out. Certainly minor 
drills, such as physical training, marching and carbine drills can be 
carried out at early morning parades, so as not to interfere with the 
Coast Defence course. Further deductions must be made for Sundays, 
Saturday half-holidays and Camp fatigues : and finally, at least one 
whole day in addition to that of departure is required by the Officer 
Commanding preparatory to breaking up Camp. 
Summing up the days to be deducted on these accounts : 
Regiment at disposal of Officer Commanding at begin- 
ning of training i rancncays 
Regiment at disposal of Officer Commanding at end of 
training ont 
Inspection and preparation for it . at | gays ABRs itthes ines Meth 
Sundays and Saturday half- holidays ee Peach ee. GRO Ii 
Camp fatigues &e. my Med temGyssrmatat Us Al 
Motaley yas. 14 days 
This leaves 14 days available for a Coast Defence course; and 
further deducting 2 days for the combined manning of the forts at the 
end under the Fire Commander, 12 days remain for training the regi- 
ment in all the work connected with the manning of a Battery, 
including practice. 
As weather is so uncertain a factor, the programme must be drawn 
up on the assumption of fine weather, or, what is practically the same 
thing, of the work being in casemates. In the event of bad weather 
and open Batteries the programme would of course have io be 
condensed accordingly. 
In addition to an early morning parade of about three-quarters of 
an hour under the Commanding Officer of the Regiment 5 hours a day 
would be as much as could profitably be devoted to the course. With 
longer hours interest in the work would begin to fiag. 
Each morning all ranks should fall in on.the manning’ parade, and 
these opportunities should be made use of for publishing any important 
orders or for imparting information that is required to be generally 
known. At this time on the first morning the plan of the fort should be 
explained, especially as regards the locality of the different groups of 
guns, the shell and cartridges and R.A. Stores. In subsequent years 
this would only apply to new-comers. Hxtracts from the Magazine 
Regulations should be read out, aud any special local orders. The object 
of each day’s drill should be explained on parade beforehand. Before 
practice the “‘ General Idea” should be made known, orders relating 
to the practice read, as well as the precautions to be taken. To 
prevent the possibility of mistakes the bugle sounds most commonly 
used at practice should be sounded before the parade and made known. 
On the morning following the practice the criticisms on it should be 
published, 
