508 
GOLD MEDAL PRIZE ESSAY,, 1879 . 
on its introduction into tlie service, of the severity of tlie recoil. On 
the other hand, artillery appears only in its infancy. No power of 
man to hear recoil arrests its progress. Every advancement in the 
mechanical arts should aid the development of its power. Steel, better 
powder and fuzes, improved construction of shells and carriages, breaks 
to reduce recoil, gun-cotton or a similar powerful explosive as a 
burster for shells, &c.—all may be enlisted into its service. 
Thus it seems that, for the present, infantry fire has reached its limit, 
while that of artillery, even in the immediate future, is, we trust, far 
from being attained. Infantry fire depends chiefly for effect on 
flatness of trajectory; artillery combines, or should combine, a greatly 
extended flatness of trajectory with power of shell both against materiel 
and men. 
The first two causes of indifferent performance given above are 
common to both arms, and we do not propose to consider them here; 
but few will doubt that they have existed, and do exist, in most armies 
to an extent that can hardly be credited. 
Remedy for 9. Having, then, cursorily examined the causes which have led not 
state of the only to the change in the relative powers of artillery and infantry, but 
question. a j g0 ^bose which, in common to both arms, produce such a diminution 
in effect in action, we pass on to consider how the chief of the defects 
noticed above—viz., want of power—can be remedied in case of the 
artillery. 
We pointed out above the necessary conditions for restoring their 
ancient preponderance to the guns—viz., the development of power 
of case and shrapnel; we may add, also, the adoption of some 
movable bullet-proof screen to accompany artillery in the field and 
protect the gunners from infantry fire at close range, as proposed by 
Colonel C. B. Brackenbury. This would also be of incalculable advan¬ 
tage in protecting the gunners from shrapnel. Moreover, in order to 
obtain better comparative results in action, we must remedy that want 
of power so noticeable in rifled ordnance hitherto. 
Want of 10. Rifled field guns were for a long time after their introduction, 
velocity—‘' and even now in the minds of many people are, only required to be 
theg^eat ges g 00 ^- target guns; that is to say, that accuracy of shooting at tolerably 
rmedord ran g* es is considered the one thing needful. This idea, we are 
nance 01 ' happy to say,. is fast dying out, but it has been fearfully prevalent, 
hitherto. qbe muzzle velocities of most rifled guns—in fact, up till quite lately 
we might say of all—have been very low, and consequently the muzzle 
energies small. In this respect they resemble many sporting rifles, 
which would make good practice at a target at a known range, but 
unsuited, from their curved trajectory and want of smashing power, 
for firing at an animal moving rapidly, and consequently varying the 
range quickly, or one whose dangerous strength rendered it necessary 
that the first wound should disable. This has been remedied by the 
introduction of the express rifle. We must follow in the same path. 
Early rifled guns shot well at long known ranges, but from their low 
muzzle velocities their case fire was contemptible; and from this cause, 
