THE ROYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION. 
211 
For purposes of rough calculation we may assume the talent intended as 
equivalent to our half-hundred weight, when the quantity comes to 37*5 
tons, some allowance must be made for dead-head and unavoidable waste, 
and we cannot expect from this quantity a gun weighing more than 32 tons, 
which is perfectly irreconcileable with a bore 34*5 inches or 12 palms in 
circumference. Such a gun if made of the other dimensions stated would, 
in fact, weigh over 100 tons, a bulk beyond the bounds of credibility, 
and we must be content to know that the Turks had in the 1.5th 
century guns discharging stone shot of more than 33 ins. diameter, 
the authority of contemporary writers being supported by the existence 
of two guns of a size not much inferior, namely 29 ins. and 29*5 ins. 
to this day; the other particulars of their length and weight are 
open to question. 
It is evident that our gun was cast on its face, the dead-head being 
left at the breech end and hewn off with axes, probably while the metal 
was hot. The axe marks are plain; similar marks may be observed on 
other early guns which have the breech cut off square, for example. No. 201 
of the catalogue of the Museum, which is dated a.h. 937, or a.d. 1530. 
I have already referred to the singularity of guns three or four centuries 
old taking part in modern engagements. The most memorable instance of 
this was afforded in the passage of the Dardanelles by Sir John Duckworth's 
squadron in March 1807, when the following vessels were struck :— 
" Canopus.” Wheel carried away: hull much damaged; 3 seamen wounded* 
“ Bepulse.” 10 killed and 10 wounded by one stone shot from the Asiatic 
side. 
“Boyal Geoege” (Sir J. Duckworth). A stone shot stuck fast in her 
cutwater. It is not stated what damage was due to this projectile, but 
she lost 3 killed and 27 wounded. 
“ Windsoe Castle.” Mainmast nearly cut in two by a stdne shot of 800 lbs; 
She lost 3 killed and 13 wounded. 
“ Standaed.” Struck by a stone shot from Sestos of 770 lbs., 26 ins. in 
diameter, which killed 4 men and led to a succession of disasters by 
which 4 more lost their lives, and 49 were wounded. 
“Active.” Was struck by a granite shot 78 ins. in circumference, and said 
to have weighed 800 lbs., but no one was hurt. It was this shot that 
made so large a hole in the side that the Captain, iooking over to see 
what was the matter, saw two of his crew thrusting their heads through it 
at the same moment. 
- There is an exaggeration about the weight of the last shot, perhaps the 
boatswain put his foot in the scale; a ball 78ins. in circumference will be 
rather under 25 ins. in diameter, and not weigh more than 760 lbs. There 
are two of these stone shot preserved at the Tower, one of them 24*5 ins. in 
diameter weighs 744 lbs.; the other 19*7 ins. in diameter, weighs 586 lbs. 
The shot which accompanied the gun to be described, average 75*7 ins. in 
circumference, or 24*1 ins. in diameter, and weigh 672 lbs. very uniformly; 
their material is granite. 
