Force of our Ships of War, 115 



Admitting, howeverj that the size of the shot of 42 pounds 

 weight renders it too difficult for a man to manage with ease, 

 when quick firing is required, and this appears to us to be the 

 only feasible objection to it, we cannot imagine that the same 

 objection can possibly be urged against the ball of 38 or 36 

 pounds weight. The diameter of the 42 pound ball i|S 6.684 

 inches 3 the diameter of the 38 pound shot 6.465, and that of 

 the 36 pound bullet 6.35 inches. 



We understand that it is contemplated to put 32-pounder 

 guns of the increased weight of 63 cwt., in imitation of the 

 Americans, on the lower decks of our ships of war of two and 

 three decks, removing the present 32-pounders of 56 cwt. to the 

 deck above ; and mounting, in three-decked ships, guns of the 

 same calibre on the upper deck, but of only 49j cwt. Now, if 

 this measure be adopted, for the purpose of obtaining an unity 

 of calibre y we say that it will be done with much more weight 

 than is necessary, and that, by again introducing a gun of 63 

 cwt. into the naval service, an opportunity offers of raising our 

 maximum calibre to very nearly that of the French, by intro- 

 ducing the calibre of 38 pounds, with a gun 9J feet long. 



Although in establishing an unity of calibre with the maxi- 

 mum calibre as its base, we certainly increase the weight of 

 metal thrown at a broadside ; yet, before we decidedly pro- 

 nounce it to be an increase of power, we must first inquire at 

 what distance this modified force is efiective. The fact is, that- 

 such a step requires some consideration, and should be referred 

 to the principle, that none of the superior calibres of ordnance 

 should be inferior, in point of range, to those it is intended to 

 supersede. For instance, the guns of the middle deck of a 

 three-decked ship should possess, with the proposed higher 

 calibre, a range not inferior to the 24-pounders they are sub- 

 stituted for. We shall now proceed to examine how far this is 

 practicable with a calibre of 38 pounds. 



It has been already mentioned that the weight of a piece of 

 ordnance, considered merely as a projectile instrument, is only 

 referable to its influence on the recoil, and the strength re- 

 quired throughout the length of the bore to resist the action of 

 the charge with perfect safety. Now, if we refer the weight of 

 a 38 pound ball to 63 cwt., we should have a ratio of 1 to 



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