THE EOYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION. 
207 
translated into French by Dr Dethier, Director of the Austrian College at 
that place,, and through the kindness of Mr Newton, of the British Museum,, 
I have had access to this work, and can present a translation from it. It bears 
date 1467, and the portion published by the learned Doctor commences 
thus:— 
“After having distributed liis troops around the walls of Constantinople (1451), 
Muhammad II. summoned the makers of his ordnance and discoursed with them on 
the Guns, and on the Defences, and what manner of cannon he needed the better to 
beat down the walls. The gunners replied that it would be easy to make a breach 
if they could make on the spot out of the guns they then possessed others large 
enough to overturn and demolish the rampart; but that to cast such pieces a 
considerable outlay was necessary, and above all a large supply of bronze. 
Muhammad commanded at once that they should have everything they required, and 
on their part they made the machine (cannon), a thing terrible to look upon, and not 
to be believed by the hearer. But I will now explain the mode of fabrication, and 
the form and the use of it. They take a quantity of very fat clay, the purest and 
lightest possible, which they make plastic by kneading it for several days. The 
mass is knit together and prevented from breaking by the intermixture of linen, 
hemp, and other shreds, and the whole well worked up and well mixed in such a 
manner as to make one tough and compact mass. Then they make a round 
cylinder, en forme deflute , very long, to be the mandril or core of the shape. It 
was 40 palms in length, the front portion of gun proper was 12 palms in circum¬ 
ference. The rear portion, that is to say the chamber intended for the reception 
of the powder (Vherbe), was four palms, or a little over, in circumference, 
according to the rule of proportion to the rest of the gun, that is to say one-third. 
“ Another exterior shape, to receive the first, was next made ready, hollow and 
as if intended for a sheath to the first; but be it observed, larger, and not alone to 
receive the other, but such as to leave a void space between the two. This space 
or this interval all round, between the surfaces, which is uniform, is a palm or a 
little mare. It is the space intended to receive the bronze pouring into it from 
the furnace to take the form of a cannon. This exterior is made of the same 
description of clay, but entirely surrounded and fortified with iron, timber, earth 
and stones, built up round it, and intended to prevent the immense weight of the 
bronze from fracturing it and spoiling the cannon. Then they erected two furnaces, 
one on either side and close by for the foundry. These towers were very strong and 
fortified internally with bricks and a very fat well-worked clay, and on the outside 
surrounded with large cut stones and cement, and everything suitable for adding to 
their strength. And they cast into the foundry a mass of bronze and tin, about 
1500 talents. Thereupon they threw in charcoal and wood, and so disposed 
it that the metal was covered above and below and on all sides, and the very 
furnaces hidden except their outlets. Bound about this were the bellows which 
worked without rest or intermission when the mass was once lighted, and this for 
three days and three nights, until the whole of the bronze melted down and liquid 
became as water. Then the outlets having been opened the bronze poured through 
earthen pipes into the mould until it was filled and the interior cylinder covered, 
and the metal one pic in depth above it. The cannon was then cast.* 
* A Turkish pic is 27‘9 ins. If we may trust Baron de Tott, they continued to cast their guns 
hollow till the middle of the last century. “ All the work was done in common furnaces, and the 
bronze burnt by the action of the bellows, and then cooled at the bottom of the basons, reached 
the moulds in a state of paste, their defective nature adding to the imperfection of the piece 
[VOL. VI.] g8 
