Mouniing of Naval Ordnance. l45 



naval architect. Chapman, who both adopted inclined slides*, 

 certainly effected in a measure the objects proposed, but at 

 the expense of simplicity and lightness f. Sir W. Congreve 

 also turned his talents to the same important subject, and cer- 

 tainly produced a carriage wanting in nothing but stability J. 

 He phiced truclvs on the trunnions themselves : these trucks 

 moving in and out on a traversing platform attached to the 

 ship's side, gave, in conjunction with the traversing motion, 

 every facility to the simple service of the gun. Had he been 

 acquainted with the disagreeable accidents liable from want 

 of base, no doubt he would have even remedied this sole 

 defect ; but even then there would have been this very insu- 

 perable objection to the general and immediate adoption of his 

 system, viz., that the enormous quantity of carriages always 

 kept in store for our navy must all have been thrown aside. 

 Captain Marshall, by adopting two points (or rather axes) of 

 support for the gun, of which one is shifting, instead of the 

 single one, the axis of the trunnions, has been enabled by a 

 very simple modification of the old carriage to increase all its 

 good qualities, and to deprive it of all the serious defects 

 that rendered it so inapplicable to sea service. But here 

 our author shall again speak for himself, in his usually clear 

 and demonstrative style. 



" The new gun-carriage consists of two distinct parts, whose 

 movements are independent of each other ; and which, though 

 jointly supporting the gun, have separate duties to perform : one 

 is termed the breech-carriage, the other the breast-carriage. 



"The breast-carriage A, in figure 1, consists of a block of elm, 

 in which two plates of nearly similar form are let in flush upon 

 the top and bottom surfaces, and secured in their places by the 

 clenched bolts, 1, 2, 3, 4, (fig. 1 and 2). The upper plate is made 

 much thicker than the lower one, and the bolt 1 stouter than 

 the others. By means of these plates, termed eye-plates, the 

 breast-carriage is attached to the centre of the port, by the breast 

 bolt G (figs. 1 and 3), passing through the holes E, E, and through 

 the gudgeons C, D, which are fixed to the ship's side. In the 

 eye-plates, the holes X, X (figs. 1 and 2), form a socket in which 

 the spindle of the crutch H (figs. I and 4) works ; a hole having 

 been made through the breast-block sufficiently large to prevent 

 the spindle of the crutch from ever becoming tight in it. Bolted 

 to the under part of the breast-block, is an iron axle, d, upon 

 which a bushed wooden truck works, and the end of the breast- 



* Chapman's slide traversed on a pivot connected with the deck. 



f Gover's 24-pouiidcr carriage was more than 5 cwt. heavier than the common 

 24-pounder carriage. 



X Congreve's carriage would be about 2 cwt. lighter than the common carriage 

 for a 24-pounder. Vide Congreve's " Elementary Treatise on the Moimting of 

 Naval Ordiiance." 



JAN.— MARCH, 1830. L 



