BROWN BESS PERCUSSION MUSKET. 91 



plated change as an officious innovation, still 

 much has been done to benefit the service, more 

 especially as regards the armament of our land 

 and sea forces, and one of the most efficient 

 reforms has been the adoption of the Snider 

 breech-loader. 



One of the greatest generals of the 

 Brown Bess. 



past, oir Charles J. JNapier, the con- 

 queror of Scinde, believed in the efficiency of 

 the old Brown Bess of his day with its flint-lock 

 and bright barrel ; for he had seen, many a glo- 

 rious field won by men armed only with that 

 weapon, and knew no other. 



The first great change for the better 

 te ' was the introduction of the percussion 

 musket, which was regarded with such suspicion 

 by the authorities, that, in the first instance, I 

 remember only one company per regiment was 

 entrusted with it. Time passed, and the new 

 arms did good execution in their day, for with 

 them the decisive battles of the Sutlej and the 

 Punjab were won. 



