The metal sheath did not add much to the weight of the gun, and it is desii'able perhaps that the new Enfield should not be quite so light, as it is found after hard firing to become somewhat of " a kicker and heavy in the heel." Thirdly, there is an objection on the part of the men to the new plan, copied from the French (and Russians), of fixing the bayonet by a moveable ring, instead of retaining tlie spring of the Minie rifle. It is true that the spring sometimes broke or became weak, but there is an overwhelming advantage to be derived from their retention, as I shall briefly point out. It is this: — Every officer of experience knows the excessive thirst produced by the saltpetre and sulphur of the gunpowder getting into the mouth each time a man bites the cartridge.
In hot weather this thirst is nearly insupportable, and interferes with the steadiness of the men in firing. But the action of biting off" the cartridge end not only causes at all times a little " loosening" of the ranks, but strains the teeth and hurts the gums after some sixty or seventy pulls at tough paper. The necessity of doing so obliges the I'egimental surgeon to refuse all recruits who have not good front teeth, though they may be otherwise quite serviceable. Would it not be a boon to the service, and an advantage to the army and to the country if this thirst and fatigue were prevented, and the necessity for biting the cartridge obviated, provided that no change were produced in the drill, and no inconvenience created by the alteration?
It certainly strikes one that the answer ought to be in the affirmative. Well! Surgeon Tweeddale, of her Majesty's ship " Triton," having observed the evils consequent on the present plan of biting the cartridge, devised a very simple remedy. The end of the bayonet spring of the Minie is flattened out so as to afford space for the pressure of the thumb in forcing it back. Dr. Tweeddale had a slit filed down in this portion of the spring by the ship's armourer, so as nearly to divide it vertically. By pressing the waste end of the cartridge against this slit with the thumb, and jerking gently the left hand, in which it is held, the paj)er is at once cut or torn off", and the cartridge is ready for use.
The hands are still in the proper position. There is no violent alteration of drill; the Minie is not injured, and the change can be effected, without incurring a farthing's expense, by the regimental armourers. New rifles and fii'elocks might be henceforth turned out with a cutting edge inside towards the barrel, against which to take off the Avaste paper, or, at all events, some improvement could be made ou the present mode, which has a smack of barbarism about it. The invention — for, simple as it is, the alteration deserves the name — has been submitted to General Windham, but, unfortunately, most of the firelocks in the Fourth Division, which was then commanded by the gallant officer, were new Enfields, and the bayonets are fastened by rings.
It may be objected that the bayonets would be loosened by the pressure, so that they would be apt to fall off if they were fixed at the time of firing; but many officers are of opinion that it would be a great service to put an end to the practice of firing with fijced bayonets, which is sometimes done in our army. CHAPTER XLI. The siege artillery ordered home — Its history — A narrow escape — The flank march — A skirmish — Affair of the 18th of October — Battle of Balaklava — Captain Jlaude's narrow escape — Arrival of the Colombo from Kertch — The Turkish huts — The Russians once more on the alert — Traffic of the French and Sardinians upon our roads — Precautionary measures — High mass for Admiral Bruat — Fall of Kars — Campaign in Asia — Kars might have been relieved — The question of transport — Failure of the Land Transport Corps — Tricks of auxiliaries — The Land Transport Corps — Army Works Corps — The cholera — Anticipations of Christmas — Abundance of creature-comforts — Decorations of the huts.