No matter was too small or too obvious for Bonaparte's personal attention. On 11 October he favoured Marshall Soult, commanding the camp at St. Omer, with a 'drill which I have drawn up myself, having exercised the guard on the Seine two or three times...'. The drill, for distribution to all company officers, was intended for troops operating the pénishes, and comprised twenty-three detailed commands and evolutions beginning with 'One: Embark'. A particularly important evolution 'Six: Row', read:

At this command every man holding the butt of the oars stretches forward together; they lean on the butts so that the blade does not plunge into the water until they have fully extended their arms.

When their arms are stretched right forward, they let the butt of the oar rise gradually, so as to plunge the blade some seven inches into the water, and at the same time they draw the oar to the rear by pulling hard on the butt. Nota: In order that a pénishes be well rowed, it is essential that the two oarsmen on the rearmost bench row together and in a well-marked rhythm...