Force of our Ships of War, 117 



From Hutton*s experiments, we may conclude that, in dif- 

 ferent calibres of guns having the same length and windage, 

 the ranges at the same elevation are nearly as the fourth roots 

 of the charges directly, and inversely as the fourth roots of the 

 weight of the shot; hence the range of a 38-pounder of 9^ 

 feet long, with 10 lbs. of powder, is to the range of the 

 24-pounder of the same length, fired with 8 lbs., as 3.93 to 4.17, 

 a pretty near approximation to a ratio of equality ; but if we 

 consider that the proposed 38-pounder has nearly one half less 

 windage than that hitherto allowed to the 24-poander, we may 

 safely reckon on the usual full range of a 24-pounder being 

 given to the 38 pound balls projected from the middle and 

 upper tiers, with the charge proposed. Indeed, from some 

 recent experiments * made on the windage of guns, such a result 

 cannot be doubted. 



If, therefore, it should, upon actual trial, be found incon- 

 venient to employ the full service charge of one-third the 

 weight of the shot for these converted pieces, and thereby have 

 an unitij of range, as well as calibre, to our proposed arma- 

 ment J, we may still secure to ourselves, with a reduced charge, 

 all the advantages that arise from projecting a shot of 38 

 pounds to the same distance as we do at present those of 241bs. 

 and 181bs. from the same decks. The same remarks apply in 

 degree to the use of double-shotted discharges : and we may, 

 in adverting to the use of two shot, remark, that the great un- 

 certainty of hitting the object with double-shotted guns, ex- 

 cepting when very close, should always prevent a ship from 

 throwing away its fire in double shots, at long ranges, with the 

 full service charge. This is a fact, we believe, so fully esta- 

 blished by careful experiment, and so generally admitted by 

 those most conversant in practical gunnery, that we need not 

 insist on it any further than by saying that it is better to 



* Vide Sir H. Douglas's Naval Gunnery ; wherein it appears that the 

 range of a 12-pounder, whose windage was .1 of an inch, instead of .22 

 of an inch, (the common windage,) was rather greater with l-6th less 

 powder than the usual charge. 



t This would be rigorously correct^for two of our guns, as they are of 

 the same length, and very nearly so for the three, as the gun of 49i cwt. 

 is only twelve inches shorter ; and the ranges are nearly as the Jffth ropts 

 Of the lengths, with the same charges and calibres. 



