efforts to instruct others. In other cases, it might happen that a zealous and thoroughly instructed commanding officer, by carrying out his measures with too great stringency, would create so much disgust as to defeat his own object.

These are some of the considerations which seem to render it inexpedient, if not altogether impracticable, to enforce the possession of any high degree of educational attainment, as an indispensable qualification for promotion. Measures based on the principle of offering inducements to voluntary exertion would have no difficulties of this kind to contend with; no extra duties, no compulsory labours, would be imposed upon any one; there would therefore be no motive for opposition. On the contrary, every individual in every rank of the army would be interested in the success of measures which, without coercing idleness or imposing penalties on incapacity, recognised the claims of zeal, of industry, and of talent, and which offered a sure reward to every species of military acquirement.

Any measures framed in accordance with this principle would not only disarm opposition, they could not fail of conciliating a large amount of active support; nor would such measures be liable to the risk of failure from the negligence, the incapacity, or hostility of the agents employed to carry them out.

The most perfect system of compulsory training, unless administered with energy, intelligence, and zeal, will soon degenerate into a formal routine; but there is no danger that the voluntary exertions of those who strive for a promised reward will relax, however incompetent or indifferent the persons may be who are appointed to decide who is to receive that reward.

Almost every one of the observations which I have had the honour of submitting to you, have been suggested to my mind by looking at the conditions of military service in time of peace from that particular point of view which takes cognizance of the relations subsisting between these conditions and the feelings and interests of individuals.

The result of a survey from this point of view is to disclose a defect and to suggest a remedy. The want of any motive to stimulate individual exertion, is in time of peace the great disadvantage of a military career. This is the defect. The obvious remedy is to devise expedients for making each individual officer and each individual soldier feel that some special distinction or advantage may be procured by his own exertions.

Those particular measures which I have discussed in detail, and which I have endeavoured to show are fitted to accomplish this purpose, are seven in number, viz.:

1st. The classification of soldiers according to their skill as marksmen, and the grant of extra pay to all in the first class.

2nd. The distribution of premiums for every point made at target practice.

3rd. The payment to the officers and non-commissioned officers entrusted with the direction of musketry instruction of an allowance varying according to the figure of merit of their corps.

4th. The institution of periodical trials of skill, and the distribution of prizes for excellence in rifle-shooting, swordsmanship, horsemanship, and athletic exercises.

5th. The grant to officers of extra rates of pay for special attainments. 6th. The affiliation with the Staff of the army of all officers who reach a certain standard of attainment.

7th. The selection for appointment on the Staff of those officers who are the most distinguished for their abilities, for their attainments, and for their services.

It will be perceived that in the fourth and seventh of these proposed measures-namely, those which relate to the institution of periodical trials of skill and to the selection of officers for Staff appointments-the principle by which merit is estimated and rewards distributed is competitive, and has reference to a variable standard. The nature of this principle is to restrict, within fixed limits, the number of individuals who can derive direct benefit from these two measures.

In all the other measures the principle of estimate and distribution is absolute-it has reference to a fixed standard, and admits of an unlimited number of individuals participating in the benefits of each of the different

measures.

The practical effect of these measures would therefore be to render a certain addition to the allowances of officers and to the daily pay of privates contingent on successful exertion-to make each individual feel that, whatever may be his rank, and whatever the nature of his duties, if zealous and efficient he will receive more, if careless and inefficient he will receive less.

The importance of measures such as these, and the effect they are likely to have in increasing the efficiency of the training of the army, is to be estimated by considering the nature and amount of the influence they are calculated to exert on the disposition with which soldiers regard the work of instruction, by considering what influence they are likely to exert in counteracting feelings of apathy and dislike, what influence in promoting energy and inspiring zeal.

It is manifestly of the greatest importance to render not only as efficient as possible, but also as attractive as possible, the training of an army which is numerically weak, and of which the limited establishment is with difficulty maintained effective, because the name of no soldier is inscribed in its muster rolls without his own consent.

Evening Meeting.

Monday, February 18th, 1861.

Captain E. G. FISHBOURNE, R.N., C.B., in the Chair.

NAMES of MEMBERS who joined the INSTITUTION between 1st January and 18th February, 1861.

LIFE.

ANNUAL.

SWISS TARGETS AND RIFLE RANGES.

By MR. JOHN LATHAM.

AT the prize meeting of the National Rifle Association, held at Wimbledon in July last, it may be remembered that considerable interest was excited by the presence of a deputation from Switzerland, a country where rifle shooting has been the favourite pastime of the people for centuries, and where its prevalence has been justly considered as one great safeguard of their country, and of the liberties they enjoy. This deputation creditably supported the reputation of the Swiss for skill in shooting, having won thirteen of the prizes open to them, shooting at all distances up to 900 yards, although they had to contend with many disadvantages, their own weapons being detained in France, and the English rifles with which they fired being very different in many important respects from any they had previously been accustomed to. They returned to their own country delighted with the reception they had experienced, and struck with the novelties they had witnessed. They told their countrymen that England had indeed made a step in advance, and that it was the step of a giant. Themselves accustomed to, and expert in shooting at the ranges previously considered as the extreme limit of rifle shooting, they had seen, for the first time, targets placed at half a mile and upwards, distances at which, to quote the words of one of them, "The target of six feet square appears on the front sight of the rifle as an inappreciable point which the slightest movement displaces in all its extent."

It happened that the majority of these Swiss were from the Canton of Geneva, which is a favourite resort of our countrymen, and, many English families being resident there, the fact of our first national rifle meeting was probably better known than in other parts of Switzerland. It was resolved that at the next cantonal shooting match, which would take place on the 29th of August, a day should be devoted to rifle practice at the longest range available, viz. 703 yards. Lord Vernon, who was at Geneva when this announcement was made, commissioned me to attend this meeting and report upon the arrangements employed. Unfortunately, I found upon my arrival that he was detained by illness at Wiesbaden, which circumstance caused universal regret, he being so greatly esteemed throughout Switzerland on account of the interest he has always taken in the rifle matches, where he has frequently appeared as a competitor and winner of many of the prizes.

The shooting took place at the "Plan des Ouates," a large field on the road to Carouge, about twenty minutes from the town. organised especially with a view to a comparison of the shooting of the It had been

English rifles obtained as prizes with the Swiss Federal carbine and rifle ; but this expectation was disappointed. Only two English rifles were present, with one of which, however, the second prize was obtained. The targets were four in number, placed in front of a small hill, which was excavated so as to form a natural butt some 30 feet in height. I was much struck with the exactitude with which the shots were recorded. As soon

as the bullet had reached the target, the precise spot where it had struck was indicated by a large disc, or "marking bat," about 18 inches in diameter, coloured black if the hit were an outer, and white if the ball had touched the centre. If the ball had passed over the target, the bat was moved vertically up and down. A ricochet was indicated by a horizontal waving movement in front of the target, and a similar movement on the right or left of it showed that the ball had passed in that direction. Now, in all our shooting at the long ranges, the chief difficulty we find is, that no notice is taken by the marker of those shots which miss the target. We cannot tell, therefore, in what direction the bullets are going, or what allowance to make in order to obtain greater precision. By the Swiss plan, if the ball has struck the target, we see the exact distance to the right or left, and know precisely what allowance to make in our next shot. If it has missed altogether, we know in what direction the error lies, and can correct it, though not so accurately. It is true that the position of the signal-flags in our system is supposed to give the same guide as to the direction the shots are taking; but when, for instance, a "right outer" is shown, it may be within an inch of the centre, or just on the edge of the target, and we are left to guess within three feet as to the allowance to be made the next time we fire.

Towards the close of the shooting I obtained permission to go up to the targets, and on reaching them it was at once evident how this great exactitude in marking was possible. A covered trench, some seven feet in depth, was dug, or rather thrown up in front of the targets, and in this trench the markers were placed so that they not only saw clearly every part of the targets, but could lay their marking-bat exactly on the bullet hole without exposing themselves to the least danger. Of course, such a position in front of an iron target would be very dangerous-in fact, impossible; but these targets were made of a frame of wood covered with canvas and paper, so that the bullet, instead of being split to pieces by the concussion, passed easily through them, leaving a small hole as evidence of its path, and was received almost uninjured in a heap of logs of wood placed just in front of the butt, and behind the targets. The targets were made to descend into the trench by means of a rope and pulley, and were repaired by pasting a small piece of paper over the hole made by the bullet. Thus, there was no time lost in colouring the target, and there being only one bullet mark there was no chance of error or confusion on the part of the marker. The economy of this plan is twofold. In the first place, a single-frame target, 6 x 12 feet, with ropes and pulleys, can be made for £3; or a double one, which is the kind generally employed, for less than £5; whereas an iron target of the same size costs, according to the War Office estimate, £18 10s., or from any private manufacturer, about £18. In the one case the lead is dug out almost uninjured; in the other it is split into thousands of fragments, which fly about in all directions, to the great danger of the markers, and must necessarily prevent them from keep