210 Mr. Harvey on Square and 



The first bearing determined on board the Hamadryad, was at 

 the after broadside-port, an eighteen-pounder being trained to the 

 greatest possible angle before the beam the position would admit, 

 without wooding. The line of fire a A, Fig. 2, Plate III, or Fig. 3, 

 Plate IV, so produced, was found to form with the principal axis 

 X Y, an angle a A Y of 53°; — the outer extremity of the gun being 

 at the same time coincident with the side of the vessel. From this 

 direction, the gun was trained into that of b B, abaft the beam, 

 Fig 2, Plate I*, being likewise th« greatest deviation from the line 

 of direct fire the case would admit, without wooding. This line of 

 fire, formed with the principal axis X Y, an angle 6 B X of 36°; the 

 outer extremity of the muzzle being, at the same time, two inches 

 within the external edge of the port. The arc a b thus swept over 

 by the gun, during its translation from the first-mentioned position 

 to the second, amounted to 48^°, every part of which admitted of 

 a ready and effectual defence. 



A gun was in the next experiment, placed at the port in the adja- 

 cent quarter of the ship ; the part of the square stern-vessel, which 

 was proved in the preceding experiments, to be entirely undefended, 

 but which, in the curvilineal stern, was found capable of making a 

 vigorous defence. To prove this the first bearing determined, was 

 in the line C c, before the beam, Fig 2, Plate III, or Fig 3, Plate IV, 

 forming with the axis X Y, the angle c C Y of 78°, being the great- 

 est the position would admit, without wooding the gun, or limiting 

 the range of its recoil. The extremity of the axis of the gun also 

 coincided with the external edge of the port. From this position, 

 the gun was removed into that of Drf, abaft the beam. Fig 2, plate III, 

 its direction forming with the principal axis, the angle d D X of 16^^° 

 the gun having been found capable of sweeping the arc cd of 46°, 

 with perfect freedom. In this last situation, the outer part of the 

 muzzle was found only an inch within the outer edge of the port. 

 The next situation assumed for the gun, was in the adjoining 

 stern-port, where the ease with which it was worked, afforded a 

 striking contrast to the difficulties experienced in the square stern, 



a considerable advantage to the square stern ; but which only served to place 

 in a more striking point of view the superiority of the new form. 

 * A similar position is shewn in Fi^. 2, Plate IV., with the gun delineated. 



