New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-01-18

teaching by example.
Not long since, Gen. Sir John Bourgoyne visited
Ilyihe, and WIS down upon the beach where the
piaclicing takes place. They traced figure on the
target the size of dragoon on horseback-namely
eight feet six inces in hight. They had party Of
sixteen iles of men, marching IN open columns oil
sections, left in front. They ordered to form
line TO the left, and 10 fire voeys by sections from
oft 10 right at dist lnce Of 600 yards Each section
put on an average from four TO five bullets in man
or ho,se p, each dsehargc, so that before staff
officer could pull down spygass from bis eye four
flea would pat about two balls in the man and three
in The horse. Sir John Bcurgoyne remarked: No
cavalry or artillery can stand on an open PLAIN
before you.' Thee were men who had received
only ons conrse of instruction at Hythe. and it shows
what efficiency may be communicated by the syste.
maize Instruction enforced by the system At Hythe.
That firing il wholly "A matter Of teaching may also
D. proved in this way: There has never yet been a
regiment tia; fires as well as the deachnents do at
Hylhe because the men at Hytle are better taught;
and thus it ought to be. Nevertheless, in a short
tin e. no doubt, the regiments of the 'iae will equal
and r eat the de,aehments at Hythe, beCsus" they
will have gone through repeated courses of insruc
ion aud practice
! In only one practice tho soldiers always beat the
officers, namely, in " file aud yoley firing, be-
cause the former are eieader in the ranks. They
have more confidence in one another the result Of
dnl in the ranks.
People talk of the withering Enfield rifle, tie
deadly Enfield rifle" aud yet the men who use those
fes are not half taught. The truth is that tho ca
+ Of 10 lu,.o vet beep fully de-
yeloped II iss,il immensely superior to the men who
it. They yet to be trained up to an equality
with their weapon.
a striking circumstance occurred IN India with the
force under Col. Franks. The enemy had guns in
POSITION and thought that according to the old En-
eli.h fashion, he English woald " take the bull by
the horns; but that talented commander preferred
conquering ~ mind-so he drew ont his ordinary
infantry, armed with the Enfield, at 600 yards and
.oncsd q cir guns in 81 minutes, aud then advanced
to the attack Were a similar position TO have been
attacked in former days, tie infantry would have
had to be quiet III the enomys guns were slenced
by their own before they could dare TO advance; but
with the arm infantry, in some cases, can shUt
up artillery for themselves. Doubtless the day will
conc when infantry soldiers will silence batteries
/ by scdk8raviag, and thus awaiting themselves Of
their vertical fire AZ long ranges.
/ The next topic Of instruction is Judging dis
lance" in order that the soldier may apply bis skill
/ The theory OF Judging distance is tbs-they take
tho men out 10 accustom them TO make observations
upon tie different signs and appearances Of objects
and figures at various known distances in order that
they may have record Of facts in their own brain,
whereby they may determine the distance OF other
A.. &. L., a. - II H.,
place men at known, measured distances as points,
the frs, 80 ynrds the next at 100 yards another
al 800 and so on up coo yards The soldier is told
to observe the at 80 yards aud 10 register in bis
mind all particulars concerning his appearance. His
attention is called TO tie fact that at 80 yards of be
could name any man in his regiment, as there is
at this distance complete identihcationi for tho age
complexion hight, and figure of any man can be de-
termned. They next place the pupil in front OF the
nan at 100 yards, and make him notice those parts
which he can still perceive at this distance, and those
which be can no longer perceive. Thus they pro-
ceed no 10 COO yards when it will he observed that
al certain distances men appear TO have no eyes or
neeks; tho head looks like n ball etuck upon the
shoulders which are then never square, but soped
OIL flesh is not visible. Obviously each observer,
according to the state u his eyesght will make his
own peculiar observations at all the various distances
with perhaps one two salient points to determine
the ds,ance-in addition 10 the general suggestions
Of the instructor applicable TO an average eyesight.
The objects are then placed at unknown distances,
in order to test the knowledge acquired, and after
recording the guesses Of EACH all are marched to the
Object, the space being measured by chain, or the
distance is at once determined by stadia-an nsru-
ment invented for that purpose by one OF the ser
administrations Of Hythe.
Some persons may be slow TO admit the possibility
Of such course Of drill succeeding bu, IRE there
my men or people who can Judge distances : Whena
rayage wants 10 fire from bow, though he NAV no,
know the meaning Of the word elevation OF any
thing Of the laws Of gravtaion, which necessitate
it, lie knows that he must give bis arrow rise in the
air suited to the distance Of his object His lfc-bis
very existence-depends upon his knowledge OF
Judging distances and bis adToiiDess in applying that
knowledge. lie has received certain Impressions in
HE own mind, which enable him 70 TO direct his
arrow as to destroy his adversary or supply himself
with food. Now the samc faculties are latent, more
or lcss in al men, indeed, perhaps they are capab
Of even greater development in the higher than the
lower races Of men. Certain it is, however, that
very good judges Of distance are made by this eys
TEN of Instruction. Registers are kept, 10y which
spirit Of emulation is created. Those who canno,
Judge with a certain amount Of accuracy up 20 800
,ards remain in tho third olass; those who canno.
succeed up TO 600 yards remain in Tie second clnss
but those WHO judge with accuracy from 100 to COG
YARDS get into the fra, class ind prizes to he beet
hois aIr only given to men in the fret class OF udg
inc dsnceg, and such ne pio vLV.wse generally ia.