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23. In conclusion, casting a glance back at our smooth-bore field 
artillery, and to its advantages in ricochet, I cannot regret it in any 
respect but one—viz. its more powerful case shot fire. In all other 
respects, the rifled gun has the advantage. When the smooth-bore 
round shot hit an object 100 feet long by 6 feet high once in every four 
rounds at 1000 yards, one-half of which was by ricochet, the Indian 
gun would hit at least three times out of four rounds. It is very well 
to say the round shot will go bowling on, and hit half-a-dozen objects 
before it comes to rest. I ask, is it better to hit the object aimed at 
-three times out of four, than to miss it as many times, and to trust to 
chance that something else may be in its way before its course is 
finished ? 
I have thus given you some idea of the field gun for India, and in 
taking leave of the subject, venture to express before you my fullest 
confidence in the system which has been adopted. As far as my lights 
go, the gun compares favourably with any existing field gun—its endu¬ 
rance ample, its uniformity of range and accuracy of direction admirable, 
its simplicity great, and its trajectory the flattest that has come to my 
cognizance. The bronze gun and its iron carriage are suited to India, 
and their manufacture to the artificers we have at our disposal. They 
have, however, two great tests to undergo, more severe than any they 
have been put to at Shoeburyness, viz. time and actual employment on 
the battle-field. I have no doubt of their successfully enduring both 
those tests. 
I beg to thank you for the attention you have been good^ enough to 
pay to my feeble exposition of “ The Field Gun for India.” 
At the conclusion of the reading— 
Major-General F. M. Eardley-Wilmot invited discussion on the subject 
Cf the paper, and called upon— 
Colonel Adye, R.A., who said■—I had intended offering some few 
remarks upon this subject, but Colonel Maxwell has entered so 
fully into the question that there is very little left for me to say; 
and if there were more, I feel I should say it less ably than he. 
We are all very much indebted to him for the admirable lecture he has 
given—(applause)—and I, who have been connected with him on the 
Committee for some time past, can testify to his thorough knowledge of 
the subject on which he has treated. If you will allow me, I should 
like to say a few words, not so much as to the advantage of the muzzle¬ 
loading gun for India, but as to the present condition of our field 
artillery generally. That the breech-loader is an admirable gun in 
many respects, I do not doubt; and, further, it was introduced at an 
opportune time, when all Europe was looking anxiously for rifled guns. 
At the same time, I am bound to say that, in my opinion, its defects 
made themselves apparent almost as soon as it was introduced. It was 
found to be complicated and delicate; and not only delicate, but liable 
to get out of order at a critical time—that is, when the enemy is coming 
