Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 2.djvu/641

] to each division. Their establishment is 4 officers and 138 men, with 4 artillery and 1G small-arm ammunition- waggons, 2 spare gun-carriages, 5 miscellaneous waggons, and 142 horses; carrying 300 rounds of gun, and 307,200 of small-arm ammunition. The coast brigade is formed entirely of old soldiers of good character, drawn from the other brigades. It is broken up in small detachments, often numbering one or two men only, distributed along the coast ; the men being employed to take charge of unoccupied forts and batteries, and of the guns and artillery stores in those which are occupied. The number of officers in the coast brigade is small, but there are 121 master gunners, ranking as warrant officers, attached to it, who take charge of the more important works and command the small detachments of coast brigade men. The uniform of the whole of the artillery is blue with red facings ; the horse artillery wear a jacket, the others a tunic. The head-dress for all is a busby with bag. The non-commissioned officers and gunners of the horse artillery, and the mounted men of the field batteries, are armed with the cavalry sword, the dismounted men with a sword- bayonet ; the drivers carry no arms. Twelve carbines are carried with each horse battery, and 24 with each field batteiy. The garrison batteries are armed with breech- loading carbines and sword-bayonets. The headquarters of the artillery are at Woolwich, the great arsenal for the whole kingdom. Two or three brigades are usiially stationed there, besides the permanent depot and riding establishment. Three horse brigades (15 batteries), six field brigades (43 batteries), and four garrison brigades (28 batteries) are stationed in India; four garrison brigades (28 batteries) in our colonies and foreign garrisons, Gibraltar, Malta, Bermuda, Halifax, etc.; and the remainder distributed throughout the United Kingdom. The principal artillery stations besides Woolwich are Aldcr- shott, Portsmouth, Dover, Dublin, and Plymouth. There is a second depot at Sheerness ; and a school of gunnery, with an extensive establishment, has been formed at Shoe- buryness, for the double purpose of instructing officers and men in the higher branches of gunnery, and carrying on artillery experiments the long reaches of sand near the mouth of the Thames being peculiarly favourable for this purpose. The artillery are not connected with particular districts or counties, but recruit generally throughout the kingdom. The horses for the artillery are obtained by purchases made from dealers, or by officers specially appointed for the purpose, 45 being the maximum price allowed.

Engineers. For purposes of administration, promotion, itc., the Royal Engineers form a single regiment or corps, consisting of 40 companies, 3 troops, and a large establishment of officers, not attached to any companies, but employed in superintending works and buildings, and in other pro fessional and scientific duties. Of the 40 companies, four are &quot; survey &quot; companies, and two are attached for service with the postal telegraph; the remainder are employed in works and buildings, or undergoing instruction at Chatham. The war establishment of a company is 1 captain, 3 subalterns, 1 assistant-surgeon, 6 sergeants, 12 corporals, 2 buglers, and 100 privates (termed &quot; sappers&quot;) of various trades, viz., carpenters, masons, bricklayers, smiths, painters, printers, telegraphists, &c.; in all, 5 officers and 120 men. The peace establishment is 3 officers and 93 men. The three engineer troops are, the field equipment troop, telegraph troop, and pontoon troop, each of which forms the nucleus of several similar ones to be raised in war. The war establishment of a field equipment troop is 6 officers and 233 men (of whom 100 are drivers), with 186 horses and 33 waggons and carts. It is divided into three sections, each of which carries the camp equipment and all necessary tools and implements for a company of engineers, and a &quot; field park.&quot; The troop is kept together for convenience in peace time, but in the field would be broken up, and the sections attached to the companies of engineers. The field equipment troop carries mining and entrenching tools, sandbags, rope, gunpowder and fuses for mines and blasting, a portable forge, sets of carpenters, smiths, farriers , stonemasons , bricklayers , collar-makers , &c., tools and materials ; also instruments, drawing mate rials, printing-press, and photographic apparatus. A itleyraph troop consists of 6 officers, 245 non-com missioned officers and men, with 24 carriages, 42 riding and 114 draught horses. Twelve of the waggons are fitted as wire waggons, and carry each three miles of insulated wire, on rollers, besides staples and telegraph poles for carrying the wire along trees or houses, or over obstacles. Four waggons are fitted as offices, with recording instruments (Morse). The troop is so organised that it can be broken up into three sections, each complete in itself. A certain proportion of the men are trained to act as signallers, and all the materials for visual signalling flags for use by day, rockets and lime-lights for flashing signals by night are carried with the troop. A pontoon troop consists of C officers and 296 non-com missioned officers and men, with 31 carriages, 20 riding and 210 draught horses. It carries 22 pontoons, being sufficient to construct 120 yards of bridge, capable of bearing cavalry, infantry, and field artillery ; and a supply of trestles for light field bridges. It is further in contemplation to organise a railway battalion, composed of men trained to all duties connected with the construction, repair, and working of railways. The daily pay of the several ranks has been already given ; but in addition to this ordinary rate, officers, when regimentally employed, receive extra pay, usually equal to the ordinary pay, if abroad (or in the London district), or to one-half of it if at home ; and the non-commissioned officers and men receive &quot; working pay, 1 varying according to their skill and to the nature of their employment, but commonly ranging between Is. and 2s. a-day. The uniform of the Royal Engineers is scarlet, with blue facings, the head-dress a low busby and plume. The men are armed with a Lancaster breech-loading rifled carbine and sword- bayonet. In the engineer train the non-commissioned officers and sappers carry swords ; the drivers carry no arms. The sappers are recruited entirely from men of good character, able to read and write, and who have been brought up to, or served apprenticeship in, some suitable trade. All men on enlistment are sent to Chatham to go through a long course of training and instruction in the special duties connected with military engineering, such as siege operations, field works, mines, bridging, &c. The headquarters and depot of the Royal Engineers are at Chatham, where their great instructional institutions are established. The distribution of the force depends on the works in progress in different parts of the empire. A considerable number of officers are stationed in India, but no men. Thirteen companies are now stationed abroad in our colonies and foreign garrisons Bermuda, Gibraltar, Malta, &amp;lt;fec. ; and 27 companies, with the three troops of engineer train, are at home. Two companies are employed, under the direction of the Post-Office, in the construction and maintenance of the telegraph lines throughout the country, thus acquiring in peace time the practical experience necessary to enable them to tinder- 