208 Mr. Harvey on Square and 



things must therefore be done, in a case of this nature ; — either the 

 former gun must be trained abaft the beam ; — the fire of the latter 

 be brought nearer to the quarter of the ship attacked ; — or the 

 latter gun be removed, and fought at the other stern-port. It 

 might be possible also to fight both the after broadside-guns, by 

 training them abaft the beam, with both the stern-guns directed 

 right aft ; — but as before shown, under no circumstances, can the 

 lines of fire be made to cross each other, on the quarters of the 

 ship ; — a point so much to be desired, on many difficult and trying 

 occasions. 



The utmost advantage indeed that can be obtained from crossing 

 the lines of fire, must in strictness be limited to a single combination, 

 produced by the stern-guns immediately abaft, and confined to the 

 space between the lines of extreme fire d DA:, dJik Fig 1, plate III. 

 It is true, by forming new lines of bearings for the guns, within the 

 limits here referred to, an indefinite number of intersecting points 

 may be created ; — still it is obvious, that only 07ie can be obtained 

 at the same time. For example, a point of cross-fire may be found 

 at D, produced by the extreme lines of fire ; — or by gradually 

 approximating those bearings to each other, other points in the 

 axis X Y may be determined, more distant from thg stern, thereby 

 commanding the sectorial space J) g g. So also, other points may 

 be found, out of the principal axis, by corresponding bearings of 

 the guns. Thus, the points (/, g may be determined, by combining 

 either of the right aft lines of fire I i, I i, with one of the extreme 

 lines of fire d D, d D, and sweeping over, by different modifications 

 of these lines of fire, the sectorial spaces g i k, g i k. In like manner 

 by varying the bearings of the guns, may any number of points of 

 intersection be determined within the bounds of extreme fire ; — but 

 only one, as before remarked, can be determined at the same time. 

 Thus, the advantage of a cross fire, which in military purposes is 

 always of so much moment and im.portance with respect to the 

 square stern, is limited and confined in an extreme degree. 



From the preceding considerations, it therefore appears, that the 

 defence of the square stern is subject to the following disadvantages: 



Yixzij — Tivo considerable arcs exist oh (he quarters, incapable of 



