Page:The Development of Navies During the Last Half-Century.djvu/206

 all times, that much of the damage resulted from this cause. We were not sorry, therefore, to see the guns transferred to another vessel, while we went into dock with all the appearance of having taken part in a severe action.

These Armstrong breech-loaders did not, however, remain long in use in the navy. There was an absence of simplicity for which, coming directly after the old smooth bores, the navy was not yet prepared. The advantages of charging at the breech were not sufficiently apparent. It was formerly difficult to make a mistake in handling a gun, but now more care had to be taken. In one of our periodical small wars, which occurred at that time in Japan, some cases occurred of vent pieces being blown out on firing these guns. This was owing, no doubt, to the plugs not being screwed up tightly, but it created a prejudice against a system in which this might occur. Another objection was that the lead coating on the projectile occasionally stripped off when being forced through the grooves. This affected the land service, as such artillery firing over the heads of troops might give them a leaden shower. Anyhow the fiat was issued that a new gun must be devised which should be rifled and load at the muzzle. Was this a retrograde step taken less that thirty years ago, and at a time when other nations had adopted the breech-loading system? I do not think so. At that time all guns were short, and loading at the muzzle was not inconvenient. Their handling was equally expeditious, and simplicity was on the side of the muzzle-loader. This advantage would have been