THE ROYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION. 
329 
(9) If the lubricators should happen to be wanting the gun would be 
incapable of any continued firing. 
Lastly (10). That the store department of an army in the field would 
be complicated and hampered to a most serious degree by the provision of 
all the separate articles essential to the gun, and by keeping up the necessary 
reserves of them. 
The category of advantages and disadvantages, imaginary or real, might 
be extended to any length according to the ingenuity of the advocate for 
either system. Refutations with which they might be encountered would 
perhaps suggest themselves in equal number to a skilful disputant ; those 
that have been adduced here were selected as seeming to be the only ones 
of much practical value, and they are open to the following comments. 
Review of the advantages claimed for breeeh-loaders. 
(1) The superior accuracy has not made itself apparent in the special 
trials instituted for the express purpose of testing it, and the extra rapidity 
is only applicable to cases of the very rarest occurrence; the muzzle-loaders 
are equally capable of any rate consistent with careful practice and ordinary 
circumstances. 
(2) The danger in loading, for firing at drill and salutes, is undoubtedly 
reduced to a very minimum by breech-loading. Unhappily it is not alto¬ 
gether removed, for an accident occurred last year (6th July, 1866), in 
firing a salute on board H.M. Ship “ Valorous/* The gun in use was a 
40-pr. The man who inserted the cartridge had part of his hand blown off, 
and another was so injured that he died shortly afterwards.* I have heard 
that another accident of the same nature occurred with a 12-pr. gun at 
Sheerness. When projectiles are used there is no possibility of injury to the 
gun from the shot not being rammed home, close up to the charge; but a very 
slight injury to the projectile itself will prevent its being loaded at all. 
(3) There are occasionally cases, in course - of field engagements, in 
which guns may be deliberately left exposed to the chance of capture, in 
order that their fire may continue to be delivered up to the last moment. 
The admirable conduct of our artillery at Waterloo may be cited as an 
eminent example of such a. practice.*!* The guns were frequently left outside 
the infantry squares after being steadily served up to the latest possible 
moment, at times when the charges of Trench cavalry obliged the gunners 
to take temporary shelter behind the wall of bayonets. As soon as the 
cavalry withdrew, the fire was resumed. Tor similar occasions the power of 
removing the vent-piece may be conceded to be a useful property. 
But if guns fall into the enemy's hands by an unexpected and sudden 
rush, I have little faith in the carrying out of drill instructions for rendering 
a gun unserviceable, and I should attach, everything considered, small value 
* Records of Ordnance Select Committee. 
f Cast, Annals, &c. It is introduced by Erckmann-Chatrian in " Waterloo,” as one of the 
characteristic features of the battle. 
