sive properties, &c. In the spring of 1862 full details of its 
manufacture and applications were communicated by the 
Austrian Government to that of Her Majesty, and the War- 
office chemist, Professor Abel, was instructed to experiment 
and report upon it. In the autumn of the same year a com- 
mittee of the British Association was named to inquire into 
the Austrian results, and their report being printed and cir- 
culated in 1863, Her Majesty's Government appointed a 
Committee of Investigation of scientific men, naval and 
military officers, and engineers. Their report was not yet 
issued, but so far as was known, the results with English 
made gun-cotton were full}- equal to those obtained in 
Austria. The manufacture was carried on at the works of 
Messrs. Thomas Prentice and Co., Stowmarket, who had 
most kindly placed at Mr. Carpenter's disposal a number of 
specimens of the various forms in which gun-cotton was 
now made, illustrating the process, which the author de- 
scribed somewhat minutely. General Von Lenk bad suner- 
'■ intended the commencement of the manufacture himself, 
and a compound was now produced, by strict attention to 
I certain precautions, which was perfectly uniform and certain 
I in its results, and not liable to spontaneous explosion. Gun- 
j cotton inflamed at about 300 Fah., and was entirely con- 
j verted into gaseous products — guspowder leaving 68 per 
per cent, of solid residue and only 32 per cent, of gas. In 
the loose carded form in which it was first known it burnt 
I and exploded very rapidly, producing an enormously de- 
\ structive force, while its projectile force was very small. 
Many attempts had been made to diminish the rapidity of 
the burning, but onlj' successfully by Von Lenk, who had 
shown that by a proper mechanical arrangement of this 
1 wonderful agent, it could be made to develop a force, very 
^gradual in its action, which might be directed and con- 
trolled at least as readily as that obtained by the explosion 
of gunpowder, while, on the other hand, it might be made to 
I exert a violence of action and destructive effect far surpassing 
: that of which gunpowder was susceptible. Mr. Carpenter 
made some interesting experiments to show the different 
rate at which gun cotton could be made to burn, from an 
instantaneous flash to a slow time fuse; and gave some re- 
markable instances of the effects of gun cotton as compared 
I with gunpowder, showing that it would produce from three 
i to ten times the effect of the latter, according to the nature 
of the work required. He then pointed out many of the 
: advantages of gun-cotton. The manufacture was much safer 
than that of powder, as it produced no smoke, much time 
was saved in mining operations, and in artillery practice in 
forts, &c., the aim was more sure, and the men could con- 
tinue longer at their posts ; it heated the gun much less, and 
produced scarcely any recoil. No solid residue being left, 
the gun was not fouled; it might be wetted and kept damp, 
and when dried again would be as good as before. Shells 
might be made much stronger, and be more completely 
shattered! by it, and it also possessed a peculiar local destruc- 
tive action, unattainable by gunpowder under any circum- 
stances. With respect to its cost, pound for pound, it was 
dearer than powder, but as it did go much more work it was 
frequently cheaper. Both had special qualities suiting them 
for peculiar uses, and the effective cheapness therefore 
depended mainly on which of the two did best the particular 
kind of duty required. 
