Page:The organisation of the Royal Naval Artillery Volunteers explained.djvu/12

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been validated.
8
The Organisation of the

mastered. A rowing man will find himself able to use his cutlass efficiently in a few hours; and, after a couple of days of continuous drill, he would be able to go through the manual and platoon exercises with satisfactory smartness and precision.

Rowing and yachting gentlemen will perceive that they will have no difficulty in acquiring the knowledge of their drills, which is required in order to make them efficient, in the winter months. They will not find that their favourite amusements on the water, in the summer months, are incompatible with service in the Royal Naval Artillery Volunteers.

Facilities for drill.Every effort will be made to afford to those, who may be willing to join the Royal Naval Artillery Volunteers, the necessary facilities for learning their drills. For the London brigade, the 'Rainbow,' a gun vessel well adapted for the purpose, is now being fitted out at Chatham. This vessel will be ready in two months from the date of this publication; and, when completed, will be moored in the Thames in a convenient position, off Somerset House. Should such an arrangement be found convenient for members of the Corinthian and other yacht clubs at Erith, it is possible that the 'Rainbow' may be moved, from time to time, to moorings near the pier at Erith; and, should a desire to that effect be expressed by the members of the rowing clubs higher up the Thames, an effort will be made to move the vessel to moorings near the boat-houses of any rowing clubs, which have their head-quarters below Kew Bridge.