The blunderbuss, carabine, and pistol, are nothing but short guns. The first is generally made wide in the mouth, and the barrel of brass. Pistols were known in France during the reign of Francis I. Formerly the stock was of iron, and the whole of larger dimensions, and more clumsy than those now used in service. They are at present made of very various sizes, from a few inches to a foot in length ; of brass or iron, and with one, two, or four barrels.
The substances discharged from small arms have been iron and leaden balls ; darts, sometimes of wood and sometimes of iron, and possibly small stones. We shall here say nothing of the different chambers for cott iaining the powder, the means of preserving the prim ing, or of igniting the centre of the charge, because the sentiments of intelligent persons concerning the utility of those expedients are so extremely various and discordant.
The brief notices which we now present, relate to se veral species of arms which have commonly been em ployed in aggression or defence. They have under gone numerous combinations and modifications, accord ing to the fertility of invention, or existing circum stances, some of which have been successfui, and others abortive. Cannon of wood or leather, and mortars of stone, have only been of temporary use ; but the com bination of the smaller fire arms, with weapons not pro jectile, is fully established. The dagger, we have al ready said, was carried by soldiers. This, in the course of the 17th century, was screwed or inserted into the muzzle of the musket after the fire was given, and thus formed a kind of pike to charge or repel an enemy. Thence originated the modern bayonet. But the man ner in which we now adopt it has been practised but lit tle more than an hundred years; and we are told of the French marching up to the British with fixed bayonets, and then giving fire, to their great surprise. Because, the bayonet being according to their own custom, in serted in the muzzle of the musket, they conceived it impracticable to fire with it fixed. The French had adapted it to the outside of the barrel, and the British were thence thrown into confusion.
There have been attempts innumerable to improve warlike weapons ; but though once adopted, they have usually been short-lived in practice. NVe apprehend
that one principal cause of failure lies in the simplicity or those arms whereon we should wish to operate. Can non, for example, the rudiments of all modern projec tile arms, are in themselves so simple, that except by increasing or diminishing the length or calibre ; by forming peculiar chambers for the charge, by loading at the breech, by. reducing or augmenting the weight, or altering the pqaition of the trunnions, which have all been repeatedly arrempted, we doubt whether, in struc ture at least, they are susceptible of any beneficial alte rations. Amidst every possible variety, a simple cylin drical tube must constantly remain the ground-work of the whole. Perhaps, experiments on the effect of ignit ing and retaining the charge, or of accelerating its pro jection, have not been carried to a sufficient extent. Perhaps also, more attention is due to the figure and composition of the balls. The most useful improve ments will probably be made on the carriages of guns, which are infinitely too much neglected. What objec tion can exist against generally using a proper combina tion of elevating screws ? or why are not locks univer sally adapted to cannon It will appear strange to pos terity, that, in the beginning of the 19th century, ad vantages so obvious were disregarded.
Sec Cesar De Bello Gallico, lib. iv. Pomponius Mela De Situ Orbis. Tacitus in Vita Agricol,v. Vege tius De re Militari. Polybius Libri Historiarum. Hero dotus Libri Historiaruzn,lib. i. Salmasius De re Militari Ronzanorum. Ammianus Alarcellinus, lib. xxiii. Vitru vius De Architectura, lib. x. 'Daniel, Milice Franfoise. Bellay, Instructions le Fait de la Guerre. Ascham Toxonhi/us. Hemingford De rebus g-cstis Edwardi I. 23. Matthxus Paris, Historia Major. Barbour's Life of King Robert, MS. Strutt, Complete View of the Customs of the Inhabitants of England. Maitland's tory of London, vol. i. Grose, History of the English Army, vol. i. Arclizologza, vol. i. 23. Peron Voyage de decouvertes aux terres Australcs. Stout's of the loss of the Hercules. Stedman's Account of Suri nam. Winterbottom's Account of Guinea. (c)