THE ROYAL AETILLEEY INSTITUTION. 
1]3 
METHOD 
OF 
OBTAINING THE PICTURE OF A GUN IN THE ACT OE FIRING, 
AS PROPOSED BY Mr M’KINLAY, PEOOE-MASTEE. 
Office of Inspector of Ordnance, 
Eoyal Arsenal, Woolwich, 
15th January, 186G. 
Sir, 
In the early part of last year my attention having 
been drawn to an attempt which had been made by the Photographic 
Establishment of the Arsenal, to procure a picture of a gun used by the 
Gun Cotton Committee, at the instant of discharge, but which failed in 
consequence of the act of opening and closing the camera being dependent 
upon the manipulation of the operator, it occurred to me that the object 
could only be satisfactorily obtained by making this opening and closing 
subservient to the actual firing of the gun ; that is, connecting therewith, 
the method used for discharging guns at proof by means of galvanic action* 
Mr M'Kinlay, the Proof Master of this department (who is well known 
to many officers as being connected for some time with our Institution, 
previous to the termination of his service in the Royal Artillery, and later, 
as the inventor of the galvanic tube), with whom I conferred on this subject, 
has produced an apparatus which has, with the kind assistance of Mr Abel 
and his assistants in the Photographic Establishment, answered beyond our 
expectation ; and as it is a matter in which many officers will take an 
interest, and may be applied to many useful purposes in our profession, 
and when more elaborated may lead to important discoveries and results 
in the science of artillery, Mr M'Kinlay has been good enough at my 
request to furnish me with a paper describing his adaptation of photography 
to this novel purpose, and some further application which he proposes in 
reference to experiments in gunnery, for communication to the members of 
the Institution. 
I have the honor to be, 
Sir, 
Your obedient servant, 
R. K. EREETH, 
The Secretary, Lieut.-Colonel, R.A., 
Royal Artillery Institution, Inspector of Ordnance. 
Woolwich. 
