PLAN OF A NEW CORPS. «gl 



you, that it is my intent to order a rifle 

 immediately to be made, the barrel of 

 which shall weigh fidl jiine pounds, and shall 

 carry a ball no larger than thirty to the pound. 

 It is impossible for me to state what weight 

 in powder, in proportion to the ball, such a 

 gun will take without recoiling, as the gun 

 is not yet made ; but, at a random guess, 

 let us suppose it will take three fourths of 

 the weight of the ball in powder. Now 

 observe what an immense advantage must 

 be gained by this great increase of the 

 quantity of powder : in short, every thing 

 is gained by it; for the ball shot out of 

 this gun must be forced to a very consi- 

 derable distance further, before the pow- 

 der, in any degree, loses its operative force 

 on the ball ; and the ball will not incline 

 to the centre of gravity, until it has arrived 

 at a very considerable distance further than 

 a ball, weighing twenty to the pound, fired 

 out of a barrel weighing only four pounds, 

 and loaded only with one third of the weight 

 of the ball in powder. This surely is self-evi- 

 dent, and requires no further observation : 

 and this gun, weighing nine pounds in the 



