eak the connection of the several
commands, and increase the bulk of the work. The precepts of the
manual are not for self-instruction of the ignorant, but to produce a
uniform system of commands in the Instructors. The important point, is
to instruct the last two classes by gun's crews, and then by
divisions. This is accomplished by drilling the guns' crews
separately, until each man has acquired some facility in his
particular duties, and then selecting the most deficient for special
instruction, combining them as a gun's crew, in order not to uselessly
fatigue those who are already expert or readily acquire the drill.
Whenever a new order is to be executed, it should be first thoroughly
and minutely explained; and as soon as all have heard and appear to
understand, execute it. If not correctly performed, repeat the
explanation.

233. When the individuals of each gun's crew have become well
acquainted with, and expert in the performance of their several
special duties, they are to be successively transferred, temporarily,
to the performance of the duties of some other station, until each man
shall have become acquainted with the special duties of every station
at the gun.

In exercising each man of a gun's crew in the duties of all the other
men of that crew besides his own, it is to be done thus:

The system supposes that, beginning with the 2d Captain to take the
place of the 1st Captain, the men are to be called to perform the
duties of the latter in a regular succession agreeably to the way they
are placed at the gun; i.e., after the 2d Captain, the 2d
Train-tackleman is to do the duties of Gun Captain; and so on all
round the gun. Each man is to fleet his position one remove or place,
in a direction "with the sun," so that instead of the interchange of
duties being confined to two individuals only, it is to extend to the
whole gun's crew. Thus, for instance, when the 2d Captain is called
upon to do the duties of 1st Captain, the latter, by moving one place
"with the sun," becomes the 1st Train-tackleman, the 1st
Train-tackleman the 1st Port-tackleman, and so on all around the gun
throughout the whole crew, the person at the muzzle of the gun on its
left side crossing over and taking the place of the one at the muzzle
on the right side. Next in order, the 2d Train-tackle. is required to
take the place of the 1st Captain, then the 2d Captain becomes 1st
Train-tackle., the 1st Captain the 1st Port-tackleman, the