As your Eye-witness passed out of the gates
of Woolwich Arsenal (even the posts outside are
old cannons), and as he reflected on all that he
had seen, he was struck by the healthy tone and
activity pervading the whole place, and sought
to trace it to its source. The great activity
observable in all these different departments
succeeds a condition of affairs precisely the
reverse. The long peace which preceded our
Russian and Indian wars, had been productive of
a deadly stagnation and inactivity: just as, in
individuals, long success and quietness will lead
to a sleepy condition, from which it takes some
stroke of adversity to rouse them. The Russian
war was such a stroke, and was of absolute service
in calling the attention of Government
to the desirableness of increased energy in
connexion with our arsenals and dockyards,
and to the necessity of a greatly augmented
expenditure, which has turned out, as all judicious
liberality does, the safest and wisest of economies.
When is this otherwise? Where is there such
bad economy as in stinginess—where such
certain saving as in a wise but courageous
outlay? The saving effected by Government in
preparing their own stores, and doing away with
contracts as much as possible, is very remarkable,
and is suggestive of the importance of carrying
the system yet further, and even, perhaps, of
applying it to matters connected with the
Commissariat Department. One instance of what
has been saved by the new plan may be mentioned
here in illustration of what has just been
said. The cost of a single shell when furnished
by contractors, used, in its completed state, to
be estimated at one guinea—such a shell can
now be made at the Arsenal for about thirteen
shillings! Nor is this all. The saving is effected,
and a greater point still achieved, in the superiority
of the article manufactured by Government
to any supplied by contractors.

Having concluded his Report of what he did
see at Woolwich, the Eye-witness now wishes to
say a few last words about what he did not see.
He did not see the Armstrong Gun; but only
the outside of a building in an unfinished state,
which he was told was being erected for the
construction of such weapons.

The tendency (which is a very strong one) to
keep secret all the particulars connected with
the exact nature and capabilities of the Armstrong
Gun seems to the Eye-witness perfectly
rational and good. The rumours which creep
out upon the subject—nay, the descriptions and
diagrams which have appeared—would be of
little use to foreign powers without a degree of
accuracy which they neither have nor profess
to have; an accuracy which could only be ensured
by such minuteness of examination and
such exactness of measurement as are not at
present, owing to the precautions of Government,
obtainable.

What, however, we do know about Sir William
Armstrong's invention is briefly this. It
is an invaluable addition to our engines of warfare,
but it is simply a thing to be added to, not
to supplant, those already in use. The Armstrong
Gun combines extraordinary lightness
with immense length of range and great accuracy
of aim. It is loaded at the breech instead
of at the muzzle. It can be used for shell or
for shot equally well, and the ball which Sir W.
Armstrong has invented is so regulated that (as
has been proved by experiment) it will act first
as a cannon-ball and afterwards as a most
destructive shell. It will pass through a ship's side
without exploding, and will burst when it gets
among the crew, instead of flying at once into
fragments, as soon as it touches the timbers of
the vessel. The lightness of this gun strikes
one as a very remarkable feature in it, and is
such that we may at once reduce the weight of
our naval guns by nearly three-fourths without
impairing the length of their range or the accuracy
of their aim. This, as well as the breech-loading
capabilities of the new guns, will render
it possible to work them with fewer men and
with less risk. The Armstrong shells, made of
cast iron coated with lead, are shaped like the
new Minié rifle bullet, and are three diameters in
length. Such shells can of course be fired
through a gun much more slender than those
used for round charges, and consequently the
gun itself can be thrust through a smaller porthole,
and offers a less conspicuous mark to the
enemy. While mentioning these advantages of
the Armstrong Gun, which we know to be true,
we may add that rumours have reached us of its
being possessed of capabilities such as we are
hardly disposed to give credit to, and some of
which reports go to the length of ascribing to it
the power of sending a shot clean through a
mass of oak nine feet thick, without bursting, and
at a distance of six hundred and seventy yards.
It has been lately a topic of much discussion,
how far Sir William Armstrong can lay a legitimate
claim to the invention of a gun which
bears his name. A great deal has been said and
written to prove that he has been forestalled by
others; that as early as 1741, a certain Mr.
Gilbert Hadley obtained a patent for a
breech-loading cannon, and that other features of the
new gun were found out by different mechanical
geniuses at different periods between
the date just mentioned and the present moment.

Now in all this there is in reality nothing that
detracts from the credit due to Sir William
Armstrong. Are there any instances in the
annals of mechanics of any invention which has
not been led up to by other men? In the ordinary
history or such matters the inventor merely
moves on a step. He adds something of his to
what others have discovered before him. He
takes their work, thinks over it, comes to it
with a fresh eye, detects the weak parts and the
imperfections of what is under his consideration,
corrects these things, and adds some point
distinguishingly his own. Or he finds other
men labouring through a whole lifetime to make
some half-discovered truth of practical service.
They are unable to do so, and their discovery is
consequently useless. Once made practicable,