1 1'., 



226 



A HISTORY OF CAVALRY. 



[period in. 





1325 ; the Germans in 1328. Edward III. used them 

 at the siege of Cambrai in 1339, and at Crecy in 1346. 

 In Switzerland they were not introduced till a later date. 

 The first cannon cast in Basle were made in 1371 ; at 

 Berne in 1413. Cannon were introduced into Russia in 

 1389, and the Taborites used howitzers in 1434.' 



Portable firearms were a somewhat later invention, 

 and they are first mentioned among the Flemings about 

 the middle of the fourteenth century. They were adopted 

 at Perugia in 1364 ; at Padua in 1386 ; in Switzerland in 

 1392. They were also used at the battle of Rosebecque 

 in 1382, and at the siege of Trosky in Lithuania in 

 1383.' 



They were continually being improved until in 1420 

 we find that, at the siege of Bonifacio in Corsica, leaden 

 bullets fired from small hand-cannon even penetrated 

 the solid armour.' There were many various kinds of 

 portable arms. The first was a weapon clumsily con- 

 structed of iron, and fastened to a rough piece of wood. 

 It was fired by a match applied to a touch-hole on the 

 top. This cannon was often served by two men. Small 

 hand-guns of this style were used by the cavalry, and 

 were called petronels, because they rested against the 

 cuirass. Then came the improvement in the stock, en- 

 abling it to be fired from the shoulder, with a touch-hole 

 on the right side.* 



Many improvements were made in the appliances for 

 igniting the charge. The match was first attached to a 

 serpentine or small linstock, then the matchholder was sup- 

 plied with a trigger without a spring ; and about the latter 

 half of the fifteenth century the arquebus was invented, 

 which was supplied with a matchholder, a trigger, and 

 spring. This was a very good weapon, and the prototype 

 of the weapons of the present day. The wheel-lock was 

 the next, invented in 1515 at Nuremberg, but did not 

 entirely replace the matchlock, which was more simple 

 and sure, and less liable to get out of order.' 



The rifled barrel was invented in Germany, some say 



' Demmin, 63, 

 Ibid. 68. 



2 Ibid. 67. 



3 Ibid. 67. 



* Ibid. 68. 



