260 ON THE DEFENCES OF PORT JACKSON, 



exceed much the expense of the excavations, the alterations to the 

 traversing platforms and a few accessories. 



Foreign navies carry much heavier ordnance now than for- 

 merly : 



The armament of French ships of war consists principally of 

 the 100-pounder " Canons rayes," to which 300-pounder Arm- 

 strongs, besides numerous heavy guns cast and built up at the 

 Imperial Factories, will be added shortly. French vessels are 

 afloat and in course of construction to carry 600-pounder guns. 



The Russians are known to possess in their navy large bore 

 and rifled American guns, besides Armstrong and Mackay guns ; 

 they have also ordered a large number of steel and other hooped 

 guns from Captain Blakely, part of which are already in the ser- 

 vice ; they are also beginning to supply their navy with steel guns 

 from their new Imperial Factory. They have moreover many 

 guns of Krupp's homogeneous steel made purposely for their navy. 

 Their order given last year to the Essen Gun Factory consisted 

 principally of fifty 9 in., and a large number of 6 in., 8 in., 11 in. 

 and 15 inch guns. 



The Americans are known to have in their Navy, guns of 

 almost incredible calibre, such as Blakelys up to 900-pounders, 

 Parrotts rifled guns from West Point Foundry, Cold Spring, N.Y., 

 principally 6.4 in., 8 in., and 10 inch guns used inturretted ships, 

 and carrying respectively shots of 100 Ibs., 200 Ibs., and 300 Ibs. 

 weight. They have also many Rodman and Dahlgren hollow cast 

 iron guns (principally cast at Fort Pitt Works) of 9 in., 10 in., 

 11 in., 13 in., 15 in., and 20 inch bore, capable of throwing shot 

 and shell from 100 Ibs. to 1000 Ibs. weight. At Fort Pitt alone 

 over two thousand cannon have been cast during the late war, 

 among which are more than one hundred 15 in. guns now in use 

 in their army and navy. 



Almost every nation has some of the guns I have mentioned 

 as well as their own new guns. 



I have illustrated and made sections in my drawings of nearly 

 all the new naval guns used by England, France, America, Russia, 

 and other powers, and it will be remarked after careful examination 

 of the sections and official tables of experiments, that the British 

 rifled guns, the Armstrongs, up to 600-pounders, have proved 

 superior to any of the same calibre. 



