TRIAL OF THE MAXIM GUN.

An exhibition of the Maxim gun took place at the St. Clair fort on Tuesday afternoon, and, as was anticipated, proved an entire success. A great deal of interest was displayed in the matter by the general public, and the volunteers, to whom the subject is of special interest, were largely represented. Among the volunteers present we noticed Colonels Wales and Jack, Majors Gordon and Reeves, Commandant Goldie (Fort Chalmers Navais), Dr Cougntrey (surgeon to volunteers), Captains White and E. R. Smith, Lieutenants Oakden, Morrison, Innes, Asher, Wilkinson, Lodder (torpedo instructor), Fulton, and Jacobs, and Sergeant Fredric. There was a large attendance, some 300 or 400 ladies and gentlemen being present, and among them were the Hon. Mr and Mrs Oliver, Lady Sfcout, Mrs W. H. Reynolds, Dr and Mrs Maunsell, Dr and Mrs Roberts, Messrs J. Ashcrof t, H. Mackenzie, ,G. Fenwick, J. L. Gillies, Inspector Weldon, and Generals Fulton and Irvine.

The afternoon was fine, but there was rather a heavy sea on, though the water was not rough enough to prevent the effect of a sweeping fire being seen. ; Just before 3 o'clock the gun, which had been taken on the battery embankment, looking seawards towards the right, was loaded by the first cartridge of a belt of cartridges being placed in it, the recoil of the gun being imitated by a lever motion, and the cartridge thus being put in position. Mafor-ueueral Strange, having done this and explaiued the mechanism of the gun, desired Major Goring to fire the first shots. The gun was discharged seaward, and the bullets were spattered among the waves in a manner that showed how destructive the machine would be against a battalion, and how hopeless any attempt would be to march a body of men in the face of a piece of mechanism which, though marvellous in design and beautiful in workmanship, yet in comparison with its power is in appearance insignificant. A few shots were then fired at targets placed on the cliffs, and the precision of the gun demonstrated. Subsequently the fort gates were opened, and the visitors having come in there was a good deal more firing. The ballets were scattered seaward like hail. Pressure on a button set the gun in action, and the bullets poured out in a stream at the rate of 10 for every second of time. It is almost impossible to conceive the effect of such firing from an arm of precision that is as much tinder control as a pocket revolver, and even more easily manipulated. Although evejryone present was acquainted with the Maxim gun, bo far as was possible from written description, the exhibition , of it excited, expressions of asfonisbment. All seemed satisfied, as there was reason to be, that the merits *o£ the gun Had not, been in any respect overstated, and that the Maxim gun is a triumph of mechanical ingenuity and skill. Majoc-general SrcANGSf before explaining the

construction of the gun, said: "This gun is a novelty, in that it uses a force that hitherto has been an obstruction. Gunpowder, is a force that exerts itself in the. same proportion in every' direction. If it cannot burst the gun it will push' forward the bullet and push back the gun 'with exactly the same .power. It does not know whether we want it to fire the bullet oat of the one end or to fire off the gun backwards.—(Laughter.) Hitherto in firing the gun backward, it has dislocated the aim of .the gunner; and the gun. has to.be run. again into position after every shot. But the force of the recoil, which hitherto has been a troublesome element in gunnery, has by means of this invention by Mr Maxim been changed into an obedient servant of the gunner. There is here only a single barrel, and it is kept, cool , by a jacket of water, and the recoil works a crank which pushes every cartridge in its place, fires it, and throws out the empty cartridge." After further explanation* Major-general Strange said : " You will say, possibly, that this gun must be fired by an expert; and therefore I won't fire it ; and I won't ask this old watrior here (Major Goring) to fire it, bat I will ask hia wife." Mrs Goring then fired a number of shots, and afterwards there were other exhibitions of sweeping and target firing which were ' uni- | formly, successful. The bullets were discharged so rapidly that they seemed to strike the waves in a line almost simultaneously, and the targets were " puuished " in a manner that would rejoice the heart of crack marksmen. There was also some practice by the permanent artillerymen with one of the Nordenfeldt guns, the Morris tube being used ; and this also was a novelty to most of the spectators, and was moreove? a very interesting disphy.