332 Mr. Mallet on the Phymal Conditions 



shall arrive, we may find we have in these new floating batteries animated a Frankenstein 

 for our own destruction. 



Returning to our trace of the progress of Indian gun-founding. In the latter end of the ' 

 sixteenth and throughout the seventeenth century,when the Mahommedan invading powers 

 had attained their greatest developments in power and wealth, the magnitude of many 

 of the guns cast by native monarchs or rulers is surprising, and the peculiar character 

 impressed by the habits of the country on some, not less interesting. Thus, at the Re- 

 pository, Woolwich, there is a very fine heavy gun, cast with large loose rings, several at 

 either side, and obviously intended to enable the gun to be slung, and carried between two 

 elephants. Perhaps the largest bronze piece in existence is at Bejapoor (called the Moolk 

 al Meidan, the Lord of the Plain) cast in 1685, with Persic and Arabic inscriptions in relief 

 upon it, as is usual with Indian guns. 



Feet. Inches. 



Length, 14 .S 



Diameter at Breech 4 lOi 



Diameter at Muzzle, .... 48 



Caliber, 2 4 



Its form appears to be that of an almost cylindrical howitzer, conical chambered, and 

 very similar to two very large guns of which models exist in the Repository, Woolwich, 

 cast by Captain Grifiilh,— one at the same place, and said to be given the same title in 

 1825:— 



Feet. Inches. 



Length, 14 3 



Caliber 2 



Thickness, 12 



The other, called the Great Gun of Agra, cast at the Arsenal of Admenugger, in 1820, 

 in length, about 14 feet; caliber, about 21 inches; and the thickness about % a caliber. 



A gun is said to have been cast at Agra, in 1628, weighing 60,000 lbs., or nearly 27 

 tons, (Piobert, " Traite," p. 147) ; and on the Common at Woolwich stands, as a trophy, 

 the immense piece captured by us at Bhurtpore, in 1826 ; for the following transcript of 

 the inscriptions upon which, and the drawings from which the engraving of the gun has 

 been made, I am indebted to my distinguished scientific friend, Colonel Portlock, R. E., 

 Commandant, Royal Military Academy, Woolwich. 



