is launched into
the sea, the machinery is set in motion, and the first act of the
torpedo is to set or regulate itself for the special purpose for which
it is designed. Thus it may be styled an automatic torpedo. The
celebrated Whitehead fish-torpedo, beautiful and cleverly contrived
though it be, can only advance straight to its object at a certain depth
below the surface; but mine, as you see, by this arrangement of the main
pneumatic engine, which connects the watch-work regulator with an
eccentric wheel or fin outside, causes the torpedo to describe a curve
of any size, and in any direction, during its progress. Thus, if you
wish to hit an enemy's vessel, but cannot venture to fire because of a
friendly ship happening to lie between, you have only to set the
eccentric indicator to the required curve, and send the torpedo on its
mission of destruction right under the bottom of the friendly ship; or
by laying the torpedo on its side, it will easily go round it, and
afterwards hit the enemy."

"Ah! I see," said the first Lord, with a grave nod; "you have at last
succeeded in making that which has so long been held impossible; an
instrument which will shoot round the corner."

"Well, a--; yes, my Lord, although I confess it had not struck me in
that light before. But," I continued, feeling my enthusiasm rise as the
first Lord became more appreciative, "the weapon may be used even in
attacking fortresses from the sea, for by making what I may call the
inverted trajectory of the curve very high, the torpedo may be made to
rush under the surface of the water, gradually curve upwards, then shoot
right out of its native element, and go straight into a fort or town on
a hill, at least a hundred feet above the level of the sea."

"Indeed!" exclaimed the first Lord.

I observed that the other two Lords were gazing at me, with looks from
which were banished every expression except that of intense surprise.
Regarding this as a sign that the merits of my invention were beginning
to tell on them, I went on--

"Yes, my Lord, the action of the thing is absolutely certain, if the
distance of the object aimed at be ascertained to a nicety, and the
arrangements of the watch-work indicator adjusted to those of the
eccentric wheel and the pneumatic engine with mathematical precision.
This, of course, in these days of thorough education, can be easily done
by even the youngest officer in a ship. I should have mentioned,
howev