ld increase the fire; and to superintend the removal, if necessary,
of patients who may be lame or confined to hammocks or cots.

383. Exercises, by order of the Captain, following false alarms of
fire, known only to him and the Executive Officer to be false at the
time of giving the alarm, may, it is believed, be resorted to with
advantage, especially at night.

Such alarms furnish the best means of ascertaining practically whether
the necessary preparations for extinguishing fire have been duly
attended to; and what degree of silence, calmness, and promptitude may
be expected from officers and men in repairing to their stations, as
well as in the performance of their duties in a real case of fire.

False alarms, frequently repeated, may perhaps lead some of the men
to move slowly, under the impression that every alarm given is false,
and merely intended for exercise; and this impression may be
entertained even when a fire has actually taken place. This evil
would, however, be comparatively small, since it will be readily
admitted by any one who has witnessed the effect of a fire upon a crew
at sea, that the great difficulty in such cases is to obtain that
necessary quiet and orderly attendance at Quarters which is essential
to the success of all subsequent measures.

FOOTNOTES:

[6] NOTE:--In order not to incumber the text with details, they are
transferred to the "Notes on the Manual Exercise" (Art. 288 to 357), which
are to be carefully studied. Also the notes to Pivot-Gun Exercise.

[7] See notes on this command and the succeeding one, "LOAD," for further
important details.

[8] With the nib-blocks the train-tackle cannot be used to assist in
securing the gun, unless a special eye-bolt is placed for this purpose.

[9] These should always be kept under the centre transom when the carriage
is not in use; also in firing at high angles of elevation to relieve the
rails of the shock.

[10] When the trucks are to be brought into play, the levers should be
shipped on their axle-squares so as to heave upwards, past the centre, and
rest against the wood of the Carriage or Slide; otherwise they must be
kept in place by hand or by a pin, neither of which entirely secures the
Levers from flying back and doing mischief. If hove down, they are apt to
interfere with the Tackles.

In order to ship the Levers expeditiously on the proper square, both are
to be marked with a cold chisel.

The Fore Carriage-Levers requi