THE " SPECTATOR " EXPERIMENTAL COMPANY.

[To THE EDITOR Or THE " arzerwrose."1 SIR,—We have now fairly entered upon the third month of our training, and two important events are about to happen. During the next week or so the selection of provisional lance- corporals will be made, and on June 15th we shall weigh and measure the men in order to discover the physical results of three completed months' gymnastic and other training. As regards lance-corporals, my only trouble is that, as the number to be appointed is necessarily limited, and the suitable candi- dates are very numerous, the task of selection will be a some- what invidious one. All we can do is to test, practically, all the really good men, and select those who appear to excel.

The qualifications will be as follows :—(1) to be smart at drill and having a good word of command ; (2) to be able to answer any reasonable question on outpost duty, advanced, rear, and flank

guards, elementary tactics, hasty entrenchments, and musketry ; (3) to send and read correctly, by semaphore, a message of not less than 100 words; (4) to send and read correctly, with flag and lamp, a Morse message of 10 words (the time within which a message must be sent in order to gain full marks will be decided later) ; (5) to superintend efficiently the construction of a trestle for a single-lock bridge and the pitching of a bell tent ; (6) to take three ranges with the metrometer (hereafter expertness with the " Barr and Stroud" range-finder will be required for promotion to the rank of sergeant) ; (7) to run one mile under

eight minutes in drill order,—that is to say, with rifle, waist- belt, bayonet, and one pouch ; (8) to have been awarded no punishment whatever.

Looking at the above list, military readers of the Spectator must bear in mind that the course of training commenced scarcely

more than two months ago, on March 19th, that instruction in Morse signalling was not commenced until April 23rd, and range-finding not until May 14th. A ten-word message was sent on Friday, May 18th, and correctly read by more than half the other men of the section to which the sender belongs.

On Friday evening, May 18th, we had our first exercise in night outposts. The Company, representing two companies, furnished four pickets each commanded by an aspirant for pro-

motion to lance-corporal. Mr. Walsh took out a few of the men, and our two gymnastic instructors, to represent hostile scouts—

the privates being furnished by numbers 1 and 4 sections, which have twenty-nine and twenty-eight men respectively—and to these were added some of our old soldier fatigue men, in plain clothes, to act as civilian inhabitants, with and without "passes," &c., &c. The picket-work was well done. The night was dark ; yet not one of the enemy succeeded in getting through, and nearly all who made any serious attempt to do sowere captured,—usually by reconnoitring patrols. The exercise commenced at 8.45 p.m.

and lasted until 10.30. The front covered by the pickets included bush as well as open ground. On their return to barrarim each man had a cup of "Oxo" and a biscuit for supper. For the " Oxo" we are indebted to the manufacturers, who have generously presented ns with a goodly supply, in view of such operations.

Of marching we have as yet done none, but I intend very shortly to march to Windsor and back, a distance of about twelve miles

each way. This may seem to be a large order for a first attempt, but I believe that men who have already proved that they eau cover upwards of five miles, " trot and walk," between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m., will successfully perform a twenty-four miles march with- out any difficulty ; at all events, all are keen to try it.

The shooting on the "90-foot range" at Hounslow Barracks has been very good, and the improvement of each section on ilia second attempt has in every case been very encouraging. The

shooting is with Service ammunition, and the best section, hitherto, has scored an average of over 16 out of a possible 20 points. Two men have made "possibles," and scores of 18 and 19 have been plentiful. I now regret very much having wasted upon a miniature range, miniature rifles and ammunition, more than £40, which might far more profitably have been expended upon conveying the men by rail to distant training grounds where they might have been exercised against other troops. Tho Wilkinson "Sub-Target" Rifle is all that is required to teach men to shoot, and to this admirable contrivance I attribute whatever progress our men have made in musketry.

—I am, Sir, &c., A. W. A. POLLOCK, Lieut.-Colonel.

[We desire to draw our readers' attention to the very interesting and suggestive account of the Spectator Experi- mental Company written in yesterday's Daily Mail by Mr. William Maxwell, the well-known war correspondent. Mr. Maxwell dwells specially on the keenness and energy of the men.—En. Spectator.]