158 DANA— NOTES ON CANNON. [April 20, 



and 200 pounds of steel were used. The inner tube was formed 

 by longitudinal bars ; encircling these were tight-fitting rings of iron, 

 driven on, one touching the other, till they formed an unbroken sur- 

 face. 400 pounds of the iron was Spanish, presumably a better 

 quality. The " cuve " for which it was used, may have been that part 

 of the breech which enclosed the powder chamber. 200 pounds of 

 steel were needed; could the chamber have been of that metal? 

 The chamber seems to have formed a permanent part of the bom- 

 bard, as the vent is specially mentioned with its large projecting 

 apron of iron. 



After the metal part was finished ninety pounds of rope was 

 wound about the gun, for what purpose we are not told. Over this 

 was sewn a cover of hide to prevent the rope rotting or the metal 

 rusting if exposed to rain. 



The manner of attaching the monster to its heavy wooden bed 

 and braces, is fully and confusedly described. General Fave thinks 

 its carriage was a kind of cage, somewhat like that used by black- 

 smiths in France for shoeing unwilling animals. Four stone balls^ 

 size not given, were provided, at a cost of two sous six deniers each 

 ($1.50? today). Two of these were used in the proof rounds. 



After this date (1377) the size of cannon rapidly increased. 

 Froissart mentions 140 cannon used at Odruik or Outherwyck, by 

 the Duke of Burgundy, in 1377, which threw balls of 200 pounds, 

 A work (name not given) professing to quote contemporaneous 

 authority, mentions a cannon of the Duke of Burgundy, 1377, 

 throwing a shot of 450 pounds, which would require a calibre of say, 

 21 inches. 



1382, at the siege of Oudenarde by Philip van Arteveld, the 

 Flemings made use of a "marvellously great bombard," so they 

 said, at least. They added, that when this bombard was fired, by 

 day it could easily be heard a distance of five leagues, and by night 

 ten. It made such a terrible din (French "noise") that to those 

 who listened, it seemed as if all the devils in hell were rushing on. 

 The rather imaginative old chronicler says that this monster had 

 "53 pouces de bee" (mouth). Englished, a trifle over 58 inches. 

 Either we must credit him with having measured the circumference, 

 — rather an unusual manner of classifying artillery, making the real 



