THE ROYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION. 
81 
conversion of smooth-bores into rifles being one of the advantages which 
recommended the system to notice. The choice of this calibre was not a 
judicious one, as the guns were much heavier than the French 4-pr., whilst 
in power they scarcely excelled it; at the same time they were nearly equal 
in weight to the French 8-pr. which was a far more effective piece. But by 
the time this fact had become evident the Laliitte system was disapproved 
on other grounds, and it was not applied to any other calibres. A new 
system, peculiar to the Austrian service, was to be devised instead. 
Abput this time Count Degenfeld became Minister for War, and with his 
appointment the subject of gun-cotton (to which he had previously given a 
a practical support) was re-opened. The old drawbacks were not forgotten, 
but the labours of Baron von Lenk, now arrived at the rank of Maj.-General, 
had been unceasing, and had brought the substance to an apparently sufficient 
degree of perfection. The direction which the present inquiry took was to 
determine how the guns could be best constructed: a year and a half passed 
away in experiments, and at the end of it the plan proposed by General 
von Lenk was adopted for rifled field and mountain artillery. 
The system included guns of three calibres—3-prs. for mountain service, 
4-prs. for general field service, and 8-prs. for guns of position and reserve.* 
The first batteries that were equipped left scarcely anything to be desired 
in facility of manoeuvring, in the effect of the shells, and in the range which 
the projectiles attained. The manufacture was continued: thirty batteries 
were expected to be ready in the course of the following year, and in two or 
three years more the substitution of cotton guns for powder guns would be 
completed. 
Nevertheless there had been several mishaps in the course of the experi¬ 
ments and practice, even when carried on in the neighbourhood of Vienna, 
and, mostly, under the personal superintendence of the Director. The 
strength of the cotton was still uncertain and its ignition occasionally 
incomplete; the bore was still injured; it was reported that some of the 
charges had taken fire during the loading, and some of the shells had burst 
in the bore. Still it was thought that part of these objections w r ould be 
overcome, and that the rest were no worse than those to which the use 
of powder was equally subject, happening sometimes from the untrained 
awkwardness of the men. Many of the advantages were important and 
undisputed, and although artillerists generally regarded the substance with 
mistrust and dislike, its pre-eminence in the service seemed to be established. 
Suddenly there came a change, greater than any that had yet happened to 
the prospects of gun-cotton, and almost unparalleled in the history of any 
other invention. 
In preparing to introduce gun-cotton for small arms two sorts had been 
provided for practice: one of them, Lenk's, gave such bad results that the 
opinions of commanding officers of corps were unanimous against its being 
used, and the other sort, which showed itself altogether superior, met with 
no appreciation. It was to be expected that the adversaries of gun-cotton 
* These calibres are now in use ; if, however, the names given to the pieces expressed the weight 
of the heaviest projectiles they would be called 5|-prs., 7-prs., and 12^-prs.; and, allowing for the 
difference between the Austrian pfund and the English pound, they are equivalent to 7-prs., 
9-prs., and 16-prs. 
[VOL. IV.] 
11 
