hing 155.8 grains each, and an explosive
charge of 3.13 ozs.

As the gun can be pointed at a maximum angle of 20 deg., and the
initial velocity is 1,837 feet, the projectiles can be fired to a
distance of 26,248 feet.

The crew necessary to serve the gun consists of six men--a
gunner, a man to manoeuvre the breech-piece, a man to manoeuvre
the pointing lever, two men to pass the ammunition, and a man to
regulate the fuse. The rapidity of firing can easily be raised to
ten shots a minute.

The accuracy of the gun is most remarkable. Upon the occasion of
the trials made when the guns were received, the following firing
was done: a regulating shot, a first volley of six shots in
forty-two seconds, and a second volley of six shots in forty-six
seconds.

The fore carriage of the gun and that of the caisson are
identical. They carry a chest containing thirty-six cartridges,
and are capable of accommodating four men.

The back carriage of the caisson carries two chests like that of
the fore carriage.

The total weight of the gun and fore carriage loaded is 3,790
lbs., and that of the caisson 4,330 lbs.

On reading over this description of the French 3" Creusot gun, it
seems to me that the kind of axle used with it is first class and
should be used in our field carriages for quick-firing guns; it must
certainly take the strain of recoil off the centre of the axle, which
recoil we found cracked our axles as we used them (once in my own
guns) so badly that the whole thing had to be shifted and replaced.
Another advantage it has is to lower the whole gun and mounting, and
the centre of gravity of the weight of it and carriage, and therefore
the gun is much harder to upset on rocky ground or going up steep
precipices, as we had to do in Natal. This detail of wheels and axle
is, I think, the most important one almost in a field carriage. The
axle I mention is one bent down in its centre for about two-thirds of
its length.

In regard to the ammunition. The cordite charges in their brass
cylinders and zinc-lined boxes did admirably, and the amount of
knocking about which the cases and boxes out here stand is marvellous.
At one time early in the campaign before Colenso and Ladysmith, a
decided variation in shooting of our guns was noticed, and was put
down in many cases to the variation of the cordite itself, the brass
c