THE llOYAL AETILLEEY INSTITUTION. 
469 
coiled wrought-iron tubes supplied from Woolwich. No conclusive 
trial appears to have been made of these guns. One fired 279 rounds, 
and was then converted into a service or Woolwich gun. Another split 
its barrel of homogeneous metal at the second round of proof; the third 
only fired fifteen rounds; and the fourth has never been fired. In 1862 
a 7-inch muzzle-loading gun was tried. It was made at Woolwich of 
coiled wrought-iron over a forged-iron barrel. Only nineteen rounds 
were fired from it. Although not then reported unserviceable, there 
was a large flaw in the bore, considerable enlargement of the bore 
about the seat of the shot, and the angles of the rifling were much 
worn. (See Return, &c., 1866, p. 4.) 
In the years 1864-5 the Whitworth Ordnance Company supplied the 
Giovernment with six steel 1-pr. muzzle-loading guns for mountain 
service. Their projectiles attained a great range, but from their 
diminutiveness could only be considered in the light of playthings ; 
and it may safely be said that purchase of such weapons was never 
recommended by any professional officer, naval or military. One was 
fired 122 rounds experimentally, and two more were issued to Her 
Majesty's ship BasilisJc , but there appears to be no record of their 
performances. In 1863-5 came the Armstrong-Whitworth Committee, 
whose report occupies, with the appendices, 666 pages. This Com¬ 
mittee was supplied with six Whitworth muzzle-loading guns, three 
being 12-prs. and three 70-prs. They were all made of Sir J. 
Whitworth's “ homogeneous metal." 
These guns, produced in 1864, may be considered the earliest guns 
which, in the three particulars of material, construction, and method of 
rifling, embodied Sir Joseph Whitworth's artillery principles; and the 
great delay (above a year) that took place in their delivery, shows that 
the Whitworth Ordnance Company had at that time great difficulty in 
producing reliable guns of even this comparatively small size. 
They were tried most thoroughly, and showed great powers of 
endurance and other good qualities. One of the 70-prs. fired the large 
number of 3033 rounds without even then breaking up, although it 
was only held together by the outer hoop, and one of the 12-prs. with** 
stood 2804 rounds, when it burst into eleven pieces. The Armstrong 
guns, both muzzle-loading and breech-loading, tested in competition 
with the Whitworth guns, endured the same amount of firing with 
even less injury, and in particular neither of the Armstrong 12-prs* 
failed by bursting. 
The Committee reported upon the guns under their consideration, 
dividing the subject under twelve different heads, ten or eleven of 
which immediately concerned the guns, and the remainder the ammu¬ 
nition. 
With varying advantages, ranged under so many heads, the partisans 
of either side naturally attach the greatest importance to the particular 
qualities in which their guns excelled. And thus, when relative values 
are assigned by the authorities to particular qualifications, and as a 
consequence one system preferred, on the whole, to the other, they who 
so decide do not escape the imputation of prejudice. 
However this may be, it is certain that the report of the Armstrong- 
