ARTILLERY. 
the chief reliance in war continued to be 
placed in other implements of battle than 
those for which gunpowder was necessary. 
In the reign of Henry the Seventh it appears 
that cannon were in some degr ee neglected, 
as there is said to be no order on record 
relative to gunpowder or cannon in his 
reign. In the reign of Elizabeth the. effect 
of the bow and arrow still seems to be pre- 
ferred in war to that produced by gunpow- 
der, as there were several acts passed by 
Iter relative to bows and archery, which 
shewed them then to be considered as of 
the utmost importance ; and even as late as 
the reign of Charles the First, two special 
commissions were granted for enforcing the 
use of the long bow. 
In fact, it is only a few years back since 
the use of cannon in the field, or artillery 
properly so called, obtained the predomi- 
nance it at present holds. The area of the 
French revolution may be considered that 
of its complete adoption ; which was not a 
little aided by the invention of the species 
called flying artillery, which took place 
shortly afterwards. 
By artillery is also understood, the science 
which the officers of artillery ought to pos- 
sess. This science teaches the knowledge 
of the materials and ingredients that enter 
into the composition and structure of what- 
ever relates to the artillery : the construc- 
tion, proportion, &c. of the different war- 
like machines : the arrangement, movement, 
and management of cannon, in the field, or 
in sieges, in such a manner, that each of 
them, according to the length of its tube, 
and the diameter of its bore, may be situ- 
ated in the best place for doing execution ; 
and that the whole train, taken together, 
may assist and support each other with the 
greatest advantage. 
Cannon are chiefly prepared by casting 
fused metal into moulds made of a fit form, 
and afterwards boring out the barrels and 
touch-holes from the solid mass. They were 
formerly cast with the barrels hollowed out 
in part, and were afterwards finished by 
boring; but the method now in use prepares 
a greater proportion of perfect pieces out 
of a given number of casts. 
Camion for field service, or artillery, are 
usually made of copper alloyed with about 
a tenth of tin ; the tin adds hardness and 
solidity to the composition, which (on 
account of its lightness, its greater durabi- 
lity, and being less liable to burst; and 
when that accident occurs not being apt to 
fly asunder in small pieces, but rather split- 
ting asunder,) is preferred to cast iron. It 
is possible to make them even lighter of 
hammered iron than of the above composi- 
tion; and a very neatly finished piece of 
this kind is among the stores at the Warren 
in Woolwich, sent in some years ago by the 
maker, as a specimen of what might be done 
in this way. It was judged that its recoil 
would be too great, on account of its sin- 
gular lightness, and therefore this sort was 
not introduced into actual service; but it 
would be no great difficulty to prepare car- 
riages for them, so as to admit of having a 
sufficient load of sand or earth added when 
wanted, which might be thrown away when 
they were to be moved to any distance ; and 
then their great lightness would fit them ad- 
mirably for service in mountainous countries. 
Cannon have also been made of staves of 
hammered iron, bound together by hoops of 
the same metal, and a large one of this sort 
may be seen at the Tower; but we have 
no account as to their use, durability, or 
safety. 
The form preferred for cannon may be 
defined that of a right cone, obtruncated at 
the apex, and from which a small cylinder 
has been subtracted to form the barrel. 
The greatest force of the ignited powder 
being exerted at the breach, a cannon is 
of course made thickest at that part ; it3 
thickness diminishes but little for about a 
quarter of its length, when it is suddenly 
reduced in the breadth of its mouldings in 
that part; it is again reduced abruptly at 
about half its length, and then continues 
diminishing very gradually to near the muz- 
zle, where it is again enlarged ; it having 
been found that the shot in departing was 
apt to exert a greater force against the gun 
in that place. The two parts of the gun 
where the thickness is increased are called 
the reinforces. Some guns have been made 
in foreign countries, which have no rein- 
forces or increase of thickness at the muz- 
zle ; a very beautiful one of this description, 
of brass, of a large size, now lies in St. 
James's Park, as a trophy of war, brought 
from Egypt by the victorious troops com- 
manded by General Lord Hutchinson. 
