BARRELS. 17 



by guns on a gigantic scale, by which we can make 

 every observation in the clearest possible manner, 

 with the same advantage that an astronomer, with 

 his large telescope, has over the naked eye, or di- 

 minutive glass, in discovering a planet. 



I had once made up my mind, that a barrel, of 

 whatever size it might be, would kill the farthest if 

 made forty-eight times the diameter of the intended 

 caliber, and entered in the MSS. for my third 

 edition some observations to that effect. Hut had 

 .they gone to the press, I should have been open to 

 the criticism of every good experimentalist : for I 

 have since discovered, that the larger the gun, the 

 longer it ituixt be in proportion, because the further 

 the shot lias to travel, the greater the resistance of 

 the atmosphere. In addition to my own experiments 

 I am indebted for the perusal of several observations 

 (which corroborate my opinion on them) to that ex- 

 cellent engineer, (General Shrapnell, of the Royal 

 Artillery. I shall, therefore, say no more by way 

 of argument, l*ut lay before niy readers one of the 

 clearest proofs, selected from the number I have 

 made : 



TRIAL, taking the average of several shots, at 

 twenty sheets of thickest brown paper, at a target, 

 plaq^d in the middle of a sheet of water, in order 

 that all by-stapders may see fair play, as to correct 

 shooting : 



Distance, 90 yards: shot BB. 



c 



