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The gun would not be out of the way of the enemy’s fire; indeed it 
would probably suffer more from it at night than the low guns, as an 
iron-clad firing at the Rock at random in the dark would probably point 
high, as was done by the gun-boats during their most annoying attacks 
in the great siege. Even if she fired low, many shots would ricochet 
from the water, striking the Rock among the intermediate guns, while 
it would have no chance of effectively returning their fire. It would 
require protection therefore, though perhaps of not quite so strong a 
nature as the low guns. It loses, under this head, the advantages (o, p y 
q, r, s) of the high guns, and partakes of disadvantages (y, h, i, j, l) of 
the low guns. 
It is evident, too, that by dotting the guns at all heights 
Guns dotted about the Rock, even if the enemy fire inaccurately, some 
Rock subject guns may be hit; both faulty elevation and faulty line on the 
to accidental part of the enemy being of little consequence. For the low 
b.ioi.s. fine of guns, the correct elevation, at any rate, must be ascer¬ 
tained by the enemy—not an easy matter in a night attack. 
From the above it will be seen, then, that while the gun 0 has no 
advantage peculiar to itself, it in a great measure loses the peculiar 
advantages of guns a and o>, while it partakes of the whole of their 
disadvantages. 
As I have said, had the gun 6 any peculiar function of its own to 
perform, there might be a question of placing such a gun in position ; 
but if my exposition of its faults is correct, there can no longer be a 
doubt of the positive waste of power in not moving a gun such as 0 to 
either of the positions, a or w, in which the greater weight of metal is 
required at the moment of action. 
It will be seen that the weak point of my argument is an 
Weak point inability to state any special function for the gun 0. not 
5 shared and even better performed by the guns a and to. If 
there is any design in the present mode of arming the fortress, some 
such special function can doubtless be stated by those who planned the 
placing of nearly all the 9-inch guns in what I have taken as an inter¬ 
mediate position; and should the reasons for so placing them out¬ 
weigh the advantages I claim for high and low lines of guns, my 
argument at once fails. But I think it would be very difficult to show 
that any definite plan has been pursued—positions for the guns having 
been chosen apparently more with reference to easily-built-on spots of 
ground than any combination of action among the guns themselves, 
and this I hold to be false economy. 
Between guns mounted on very high sites and those 
case of iron- near the water-line, an iron-clad attacking would lead a 
clad attack- poor time of it. From up the Rock, the almost bird’s-eye 
ing ‘ view enables each motion of the ship to be watched, and 
all the advantages of accurate vertical fire to be obtained. While the 
low guns were rapidly firing, and racking or penetrating her armour- 
plates on the side of the ship nearest them, the guns at a high altitude 
would, though firing slower, be firing at a better determined, if greater 
range; one successful hit doing incredible damage, and making up for 
all disadvantages; tearing away large portions of her plating from the 
