Prince Charles determined to establish a standing camp of instruction for his troops, and finally settled on Furceni, in Moldavia, on the left bank of the Seret, where plenty of wood for huts was available. The regiments moved into camp in succession, commencing in April 1869. In a letter to his father the Prince alludes to his camp life as follows: "I am fairly well satisfied with my stay in camp. The troops are capitally housed in the barracks they have built themselves. The situation is fairly healthy, as proved by the number of sick--200 out of 12,000 men; whilst at Bucharest the proportion is 230 to 3000. Those troops whose barracks are not completed remain under canvas. On my arrival I found seven Line Regiments, four Rifle and two Engineer battalions, the 2nd Artillery Regiment, one squadron of gendarmes, and two of Dorobanz Cavalry, in addition to the Train, Sanitary, and Supply Departments. I inspected a regiment every day, and lunched with the officers of the various corps.... Both officers and men like the camp, and the prevailing spirit is excellent. I promise myself favourable results from camp life, especially with regard to discipline and _esprit de corps_."... On his return from Livadia the Prince attended the manœuvres before closing the camp, and noticed a very marked progress, especially on the occasion of the passage of the river Seret being forced. The following year, 1870, Prince Charles demanded an even higher standard of efficiency at his inspections, as the troops had had ample time to become acquainted with their new drill and regulations. Though the spirit of the regulars and militia left little to be desired, the National Guard repeatedly proved their worthlessness and want of reliability, especially during the excitement of elections at Plojeschti, where the local National Guard had to be disbanded. Some slight changes in organisation took place in April 1871, when the term of service with the colours was increased to four years. The Dorobanz and Frontier units were now formed into a Territorial Army, the infantry of which was now termed "Dorobanzi," and the cavalry "Calaraschi," the cavalry of the Line being named "Roschiori." The Fire Brigades, hitherto organised in companies and battalions, now formed part of the Territorial Army, and were trained as gunners. Prince Charles made the acquaintance of Colonel Charles Gordon, who was then a member of the European Commission, on April 20, 1872. The conversation turned chiefly on military matters, particularly the great strategical value of Galatz, which Gordon declared could easily be made into a strong fortress, as its position between the Danube, the Prut, and the Seret would only render necessary works against the approaches from the north. Colonel Gordon created a most favourable impression upon the Prince, who showed the greatest interest in his many war services in the Crimea and in China.