s indicated
by driftwood and high-water marks; islands; heights in vicinity
commanding streams.

WOODS.--Extent and shape; kind of trees; free from underbrush
or not; clearings, roads, swamps, ravines, etc.

TELEGRAPH LINES.--Number of wires, along ronds or railroads,
stations, etc.

VILLAGES.--Size, kind of houses, nature of streets, means of defense,
etc.

HILLS AND RIDGES.--Whether slopes are gentle or steep; whether top
is narrow or wide; whether ground is broken or smooth, wooded or
clear; whether difficult or easy to cross, etc.; whether commanded
by other hills.

DEFILES.--Their direction, length, and width; whether surrounding
heights are passable for infantry and artillery; kind of country
at each opening of the defile, etc.

RAVINES, DITCHES, ETC.--Width and depth; banks, whether passable
for infantry, cavalry, and wagons; whether suitable for trenches,
or for movement of troops therein, etc.

In general, every soldier should be constantly on the lookout to
obtain information that might be of some military value. Remember
that information of the enemy and of the country is worthless
unless made known to the proper officials in time to be of use.

Every soldier should be able to find his way in a strange country;
should know how to use a compass; should know how to locate the
North Star; should be able to travel across country, keeping
a given direction, both by day and by night, and by observing
landmarks he should be able to return to the starting point either
over the same route or by a more circuitous one. This can easily
be learned by a little practice.

It adds a great deal to the value of a soldier if he knows how
to use a map to find his way. If he knows how to make a rough
sketch of the country, showing the position of roads, streams,
woods, railroads, bridges, houses, villages, fields, fences,
hills, etc., he has added to his value as a soldier very much,
indeed, because a rough sketch of a country will give more and
better information at a glance than can be obtained by reading
many pages of written description.

PATROLLING is one of the most important duties a soldier can
learn. Any enlisted man who understands thoroughly his duties as
a member of a patrol will understand also most of his duties when
with advance or rear guards or when on outpost duty. Patrolling
can not be learned merely by reading books nor by work indoors.
Thoroughness comes only by actually going out in the count