Mounting of Naval Orctndnier 155 



be applied with advantage, when closely engaged abreast, by thd 

 bow-division (of guns) tiring on the quarter, and the stern-divi- 

 sion on the bow of the enemy : by this means her decks would 

 be crossed by the shot diagonally^ and their effect be increased in 

 the proportion of an hypothenuse to a perpendiculftPi or oi radius 

 to the cosine of the angle of inclination." . ..; 



The great increase given to the arc of traverse by Com- 

 mander Marshall's carriage also produces another important 

 advantage, viz., that of enabling the ship provided with them 

 to direct its guns to bear on objects at greater angular dis- 

 tances, and thus affording an immense advantage over an 

 enemy's ship furnished with the common carriage. This 

 subject, however, our author treats of in an earlier part of hi& 

 work. 



At the conclusion of the fourth section, under the head 

 " Working," it is justly observed, from the previous investi- 

 gations and demonstrations, 



" That a gun may be worked with more expedition upon the 

 new carriage than upon the old one j and, as the more laborious 

 parts of the exercise are rendered easy and simple, it may also be 

 inferred, that a brisk fire may longer be kept up, and the physical 

 strength of the men be longer preserved from exhaustion." 



The experiments which have been made on board the Princ6 

 Regent, of 120 guns ; Isis, of 50 guns ; and Galatea, of 42 

 guns, amply confirm these deductions. Oil board the first- 

 mentioned ship three men only worked a long 12-pounder 

 more quickly than sij; men by the old carriage. A number 

 of experiments at sea, on board the Isis, have established the 

 fact, that seven men with the Hew carriage are able to fire 

 about a third greater number of shot from a 24-pounder in a 

 given time than can be accomplished by ten men with the 

 usual carriage. It was also equally verified on board the 

 Galatea, that six men can handle an 18-pounder with greater 

 facility than ten can with the ordinary means. 



It appears that, with Commander Marshall's carriages, a 

 line-of- battle ship is more effectually manned with one-sixth 

 less men than the usual complement at present allowed iri 

 the English service. Here the invention assumes other in- 

 teresting features. The facility of increasing the number of 

 ships at sea with a given number of seamen is an advantage 

 of vital importance, and with a given number of ships it is evi- 

 dent that a considerable economy results in being able to dia-* 

 pense with a portion of the present crews *. But there is aiVr 

 other question of no less importance, hinging on the introduc- 



* Our navy in commission at present employs 21,000 sailors, aud it tould be at 

 least equaUjr well nunued with 18^00 with the new carriages. 



