CANNON. 



round knob at the end of the cannon, 

 called the cascabel. As there is great 

 force in the powder when ignited by 

 means of a match applied to the vent, 

 which communicates with the end of the 

 chase, the quantity of metal must, of ne- 

 cessity, be augmented about the breech, 

 or hinder parts. Thus all cannon* are 

 fortified in that part ; but battering can- 

 nons are generally double-fortified, by an 

 additional quantity of metal, in conse- 

 quence of the large charges of powder 

 given, for the purpose of adding to the 

 impetus or force of the shot's action on 

 the place to be battered. 



Battering-pieces are generally from 24 

 to 42 pounders, sometimes 18 pounders 

 are used, but their effect is feeble, com- 

 pared with that of cannons of a larger 

 calibre. 



Cannon intended for field service are 

 mounted on a carriage, with two stout 

 wheels, about four feet and a half high, 

 on a solid wooden or an iron axle, and 

 suspended by their trunnions on the two 

 cheeks, which are as near to each other 

 as the size of the cannon will permit, 

 tapering down a little towards the ground, 

 at a sufficient angle to oppose the recoil, 

 or run backward, made by every piece 

 when fired. The cheeks diverge a little, 

 and are kept very firm in their places by 

 means of cross pieces called transoms, 

 which are vertical in and secured by 

 strong bolts. The cannon is turned about 

 to any direction by means of a hand- 

 spike which fixes into the train. The 

 ' piece is transported by raising its train, 

 and passing the tail-transom, which is 

 perforated for the purpose, on to a very 

 substantial iron gudgeon firmly fixed on 

 the centre of an axle, which has two 

 wheels rather lower than those of the 

 carriage. This appendage is called a lim- 

 ber, and carries a stout water-proof box 

 full of ammunition of various descriptions, 

 for the service of the cannon ; it has 

 likewise a pole, or shafts, whereby horses 

 are attached, and the piece thus travels 

 with tolerable ease ; the limber wheels 

 traversing under the cheeks of the car- 

 riage. 



The modes of charging cannon are va- 

 rious, but in general with cartridges, over 

 which wads of spun yarn are well ram- 

 med ; then the shot, either round or 

 grape ; and, lastly, a second wad ram- 

 med home : but in field service, where 

 grape or canister shot are used, the 

 whole charge is sometimes made to fit in 

 immediately after the cartridge, which is 

 invariably made of serge, shalloon, or 

 other woollen stuff. Grape is made by 



putting many small balls together, so as 

 to fit the bore of the piece , they are 

 usually netted to a round piece ot board. 

 Canister is nothing more than a number 

 of still smaller balls put into a tin canis- 

 ter; these are intended for close attacks, 

 especially among cavalry, or large bodies 

 of infantry, round shot being mere suit- 

 ed to distant operations. Ship guns, and 

 such others as are intended to be station- 

 ary, are placed on low substantial car- 

 riages, moving on four small trucks ; these 

 ere elevated by means of wedges called 

 quoins. Some are discharged by locks, 

 on the same principles as those for mus- 

 quets ; and for ship use are certainly the 

 safest, and best adapted to a certainty ot* 

 aim. Brass six-pounders often weigh so 

 little as 4 civt. but some of the double for- 

 tified battering cannon amount to full 3 

 tons each. 



A short kind of a cannon, called a car- 

 ronade, is much in naval use : we have 

 some that throw balls of near 70 Ibs. : 

 their purpose is chiefly for close attacks, 

 when their effects are dreadful : these 

 slide in grooves on a bed carriage. The 

 pieces used for throwing shells, which 

 are hollow balls filled with powder that 

 explode when the fuse burns into them, 

 are howitzers and mortars ; the former 

 are mounted in every respect similar to 

 cannon, but are very short, and chamber- 

 ed. These throw either shells or grape 

 with great effect. The mortar is always 

 fired at an elevation of 45 degrees from 

 the horizon, and its range, i. e. the dis- 

 tance at which the shell is to fall, is de- 

 termined by putting a greater or less 

 charge of powder into the chamber, 

 Shells for mortars sometimes measure a 

 diameter of 21 inches, but those for how- 

 itzers rarely exceed 11 inches, and ge- 

 nerally are from 4| to 8, or thereabouts. 

 The point blank range of a cannon is that 

 distance at which the shot cuts a line, 

 supposed to be drawn parallel with the 

 surface of earth, at a distance equal to 

 the height of the chase of the cannon 

 when horizontal. No shot goes in a right 

 line from the muzzle to the object, but 

 forms a curve often many yards above 

 the horizontal line. The point blank dis- 

 tance is according to the calibre of the 

 piece, and the proportion of powder, and 

 its quality, used for a charge ; we may 

 however, state the ranges to be from 400 

 to 1000 yards. 



Mortars will throw shells more than a 

 mile. The cawiage of a mortar is a large 

 horizontal bed of timber, strongly clamp- 

 ed together, and placed on loose sand ; it 

 should be perfectly level. The breech 



