x88o.] Torpedo War-. 291 
time they wrote, since Grotius had long before inculcated a 
more humane principle.” In the same lecture Lord Dun- 
sany alludes to the use of the coal-torpedoes, mentioned in 
my previous notice (see page 174), as a variety of warfare 
practised by the Confederates “ which would certainly be 
more honoured in the breach than in the observance. That 
we find detailed in the ‘ Edinburgh Review ’ (October, 1877). 
I call your attention to it because it certainly seems to be 
on the verge of the lawful,* if it is not beyond it. The 
particular means of explosion consisted of a hollow lump of 
iron filled with a charge of dynamite. It was rubbed over 
with coal-tar and dust, and exactly resembled a large lump 
of coal. I am not sure whether it was used with success, 
but it certainly was used by the Confederates.” In the dis- 
cussion which followed the reading of the above-named paper 
Major E. H. Cameron, Instructor Royal Laboratory Dept., 
Woolwich, saidasfollows: — “He” (Lord Dunsany) “had also 
instanced explosive coal lumps, and I think gives the credit 
of that, or the discredit, to the Confederates. I can only say 
I have had one of those lumps in my own hands which came 
from the Northern side, and was intended by Northern 
cruisers to have been put on board blockade-iunners, who 
were to have been allowed to proceed on their mission, to 
discharge their cargo into the bunkers of Confederate 
cruisers, and thus the explosive coal-lump was to have pro- 
duced its unhappy results when least expected.” Since I 
wrote my paper (in the No. for March) I have myself ob- 
tained one of these coal-shells from the gentleman who, 
under the pseudonym of “ War-hawk,” warned the public 
seven years since of their manufacture. I shall place it in 
the Museum of the Royal United Service Institution for public 
inspection. Has anyone seen the so-called bullets- asphyxiants? 
There is no doubt that publicity to all secret contrivances 
is the best method of combating their use for mischievous 
purposes ; thus, for instance, a brass-founder when required 
to make certain casts would have his suspicions aroused did 
the models ordered resemble blocks of coal, had he heard of 
these diabolical bombs. It is only on this plea of public 
utility that I have ventured to bring to notice in the pages 
of the “Journal of Science” such apparently digressive 
* The Right Honble. Montague Bernard, the distinguished jurist, referring to 
the above, said, “ For my part I confess that the sending an infernal machine 
that looks like a mere piece of coal into an enemy’s country is worse to my mind 
than even poisoning an enemy’s officer, because you cannot foresee what destruc- 
tion it may cause or who may be the sufferers. I can conceive nothing that falls 
more thoroughly within the description of an unfair mode of warfare than that. 
