involved in the Construction of Artillery. 409 



old pieces, composed of iron bars, applied lengthwise, and encircled with strong iron hoops 

 transversely, the whole soldered together. They are not much altered, although they 

 have been neglected for a long time ; but the rust has injured them most in the points of 

 junction, and made these more apparent. It is probable that if, at the time when they 

 were made, the arts had been as far advanced as they arc at present, they would still be 

 fit for service. 



" ' New attempts have lately been made in France, at Guerigny, Department de la 

 Nievre, and in Spain, at Ccvada, New Castile, to construct such guns, and they have been 

 crowned with success. But at first, when compared with cast-iron guns, wrought-iron 

 heavy ordnance would have been attended with considerable expense, as well from the 

 price of metal as from the attention which their fabrication requires ; and secondly, the 

 enormous consumption and want of cannon at that time (1794) compelled a recurrence to 

 the most expeditious and least expensive proceedings — therefore, to conQne their fabrica- 

 tion to cast-iron. However, they (i.e., wrought-iron) are not half as expensive as brass 

 guns.' 



" It may be remarked here, that Tonsard was strongly in favour of experimenting upon 

 wrought-iron cannon, with a view to their introduction into the service of the country. 

 He observes, however, of cast-iron, 'that if it was by some means possible to produce a more 

 perfect melting of the iron, cannon cast of this metal, with an equal thickness, would be 

 stronger, more durable, and lighter than brass cannon,' page 198. He gives the preference, 

 however, to brass cannon, because these are they ' the service of which should present most 

 security.' 



"Grose, in his 'Military Antiquities,' vol. i., page 381, says, that cannon ' were, in 

 general, constructed of iron bars soldered, or welded, together, and strengthened with iron 

 hoops ; others were made of plates of iron rolled up, and fortified with iron hoops.' He 



speaks of several ' at Woolwich, one belonging to Pooley, Esq., in Suffolk;' and ' also 



several of those hooped guns in the Isle of Man, England.' Bombards were at first chiefly 

 made of hammered iron ; but, in process of time, many were cast of that composition 

 named bell or gun-metal. They were also sometimes made of plates of iron and copper, 

 with lead run between them. One of these guns was taken up on the coast of Ireland. 



" That wrought-iron guns, constructed of iron bars hooped together, were used very 

 generally, we know from the specimens yet preserved, and the facts of history. James 11. 

 of Scotland lost his life before lloxburgh Castle, by the bursting of one of these guns. In 

 1545, a man-of-war, named the ' Mary Rose,' commanded by Sir George Carew, sunk off 

 the Isle of Wight, with her whole crew. Three hundred years, nearly, after the accident, 

 Mr. Dean, with his diving apparatus, raised a 24-pounder brass gun, and, at the same time, 

 some iron guns. The iron guns were formed of iron bars, hooped together with iron rings, 

 and they were all loaded, &c. — Wilkimoris Einjines of War. 



