MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS OF 
&& 
whose conducting power is so great that it might be expected to act 
with the cooling effect of a system of gauze burners, and, on the Davy 
safety lamp principle, only allow the flame to enter in the form of a 
rush of cool gas, effective only as to its pressure; but it is probable that 
the velocity is too great to allow the conducting power of the metal to 
act, so that the flame enters with heat, as well as enormous pressure. 
Common shells are issued filled for sea service, with Pettman general 
service percussion fuzes in them; they have also Boxer time fuzes, for 
use if required. For sea-fronts of forts they have these time and per¬ 
cussion fuzes also, but for land-fronts only time fuzes; the Pettman 
general service fuze being peculiar in its action, and not generally 
suited for land service rifled guns—for it is constructed not to explode 
on striking water, even at a high velocity, yet to explode on a ship's side, 
even at a low velocity, and to act before it crosses the vessel's deck. 
It is alike available for smooth-bores as well as breech-loading and 
muzzle-loading rifled guns; it is therefore an efficient fuze, especially 
for sea service—for it is very necessary that in aiming to hit a ship near 
the water-line, the accidental contact with a wave should not explode 
the shell prematurely; but for land service these very conditions rather 
tell against it—for it will not act on graze unless the falling angle be 
Very great, and the blow consequently more direct than usual. This 
being so, and the time fuze being driven into the shell, and so made to 
fire it by direct impact, it follows that there is no use in issuing the 
Pettman percussion fuze for the land-fronts. It seems unlikely that a 
fuze to act on graze would be required for the heavy guns, but at all 
events it is well that its non-existence should be noted. 
Boxer Shrapnel . 
You see on the table this shell for the 7" calibre. It is not necessary 
to discuss its construction further than to say, it has a bursting charge 
in its base, a wood head lightly attached and easily blown off, and sand 
shot varying in weight from 4 to 2 ozs., according to the calibre, and 
numbering 580 in the 12" and 227 in the 7". 
This description of shell has been preferred to the segment shell 
beyond question for the large calibres; the effect is good when opened 
even as much as 500 yds. short of an object. Hence, with the 9 seconds 
Boxer wood fuze, shrapnel are available for ranges up to about 3000 yds. 
(nearly a mile and three-quarters). The fuze is used with a primer 
beneath it to prolong its flash. 
It is so important, in the firing of these shells, to watch and under¬ 
stand the indications of the effects that are being produced, that, at the 
risk of being tedious, I would just call attention to them, believing as 
I do that the disappointment occasionally following the employment 
of shrapnel, is commonly due to an over sanguine estimate of these 
results. 
It is necessary not only to note the position of the burst of the shell, 
but also, if possible, the graze of the balls—which on water give splashes, 
on dry ground puffs of dust, on ice (so I am informed) very distinctly 
scored marks, but on boggy ground, I fear, no marks whatever. The 
