The Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1866. BREECHLOADERS FOR THE ENGLISH ARMY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume I, Issue 209, 5 November 1866, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1866. BREECHLOADERS FOR THE ENGLISH ARMY.

At last, says the London Evening Mail, the English troops are to be armed with breechloaders. Cavalry, infantry, artillery, and marines will have them early next year, and soon as possible afterwards the Militia and Volunteers will be similarly equipped. In fact, from this lime neither at Enfield nor at any of the large private firms occasionally employed, will any more muzzleloaders be made for the Government; 250,000 EnMelds converted into breechloaders will be ready by the Ist of April, and after that instalment has been completed for the regular forces, all the rest for the Volunteers and Militia and Colonial regiments will be taken in hand as fast as possible. Already the Canadian Government has ordered 40,000, and the resources of the Enfield Ordinance Manufactory are severely taxed; but such arrangements are now being made as will enable them to turn out at least I,COu converted rifles per day. We use the term " converted" in its plainest and most literal sense.- The barrel and grooving of the Enfield rifle, which have made it the best cheap weapon of its kind is not interfered with in the process of conversion. Long series of fpsts at Woolwich have shown that its shooting powers, both as regards penetration and accuracy, have been rather increased than diminished by the alteration; and more than this it would be impossible to say in its favor;, and when we add that the " c< nversion" costs no more at Enfield than about 14s. per rifle we think we have said enough to show that this country has a cheaper breechloader than is known to exist in any other country. It has been said by the advocates of breechloading small arms that the worst breechloader was better than the Lest muzzleloader — a fallacy which it is scarcely worth while to contradict. Nearly all breechloaders are of necessity more or less intricate, expensive, and liable to get out of order, and the trials at Wimbledon show that well-served muzzleloaders have been able to keep pace in accuracy, if not in rapidity, with what in their time were thought breechloaders. There is nothing very strange or new in the notion of a rifle being made to load at the breech ; in fact, no country in the world has ever invented such numerous varieties of this weapon as England. Time after time have the importance and the value of the improvement been impressed upon the notice of our military- authorities, who have steadily refused to recognise its use. A few certainly have been made just sufficient to quiet clamorous inventors, but ber yond this nothing. It is perhaps worth mentioning , too, that of all ihese many weapons made and tried not a single one has been adopted save that now making— the weapon designed by Mr. Snider, which has been in the country for years, and has never had a trial until now. Both before and after the easily won victories of" Prussia over Denmark this breechloading system, which is scarcely, if at all, modified now from what it was then, was pressed upon the notice both of the War Office and Horse Guards. Neither, however, would entertain the propositions, or even admit the idea that a breeehloader in any form was desirable or efficacious. What the Prussian needle gun effected, however, could not be overlooked, and some of these weapons were got over and tested. A single week of trials in this country at once sufficed to destroy their reputation. They shot neither with accuracy nor with great penetration. Their breeches " spit gas," as it is termed, which is only a mild way of saying that much of the flame of the explosion often escaped ; the needle was constantly getting out of order; and, above all, the breech became so hot that there was no handling it. It was then ancl then only that the late Government determined to try the value of some of the English systems, and, characteristically enough, ordered a very large number of breechloaders for the cavalry without a trial, and these, though now made are never likely to be issued. Late events, however, have placed not so much the value as the absolute necessity of breechloaders beyond all dispute; and if the present Government never do anything more than place breechloaders hi the hands of our soldiers, they will have rendered a most signal service to the country. olt would be tndious, and not perhaps very intelligible to the general' reader, to explain the peculiar mechanism of the breech in technical terms, and how it is applied to the .Enfield barrel. A few plain words, however, may give a general idea of the process. The ordinary rifle barrel is simply shortened at its breech end by about three inches. To this is screwed a very strong, hollow half barrel, and over this groove or opening is a solid piece of metal fastened to the side of the groove with a common hinge. This opens or shuts on its hinge with a simple motion of the finger. When open, the cartridge is instantly inserted into the base of the barrel, and when closed the force of tlie explosion has a solid piece of metal to resist it. There are of course, little minute mechanical details connected with it, but such, in the rough, is the general principle of this breechloader; and when we add that all the parts are guaged to the thousandths of inches, and make a perfect mechanichal fit, it will easily be seen how complete is the apparatus for closing the breech, and; how massive is the resistance which the -breech-piece offers to the back shock. The arrangement for 'firing is very simple, but most admirably adapted todo away with

that nuisance of modern warfare — the percussion cap. Thecapan^cartridgearenow made up together, The cartridge contains the usual charge of powder, but instead of -being enclosed in paper is contained in a thin slip of brass about as thick as an ordinary tinfoil, and this again is coated outside with a waterproofed material something like oiled pig-skin. Thus the whole cartridge litis the' rigidity of a bullet, and when placed in the chamber offers sufficient resistance to the stroke of the hammer of the gun to allow of its percussion cap being lit and the whole ignited. How this stroke of the hammer or cock reaches it when enclosed in fhe chamber is very simply effected. Instead of the hammer, which is one of the ordinary kind now used in all rifles, falling on the percussion cap, it strikes upon a stout little steel bolt supported by a spring, which, passing by an aperture through the solid breech-piece, abuts full on the percussion, powder at the base of the cartridge. Of course as this little bolt is struck down'by the hammer the explosion of the chanre is instant-., while as the gun is cocked and the breach opened, tlie bolt is pushed out by the spring ready for instant action again. It will naturally be asked what becomes of the brass casing of the cartridge left in the barrel. These, in- the very act of opening the breech, are pushed down by a spring, and either thrown or picked out as the marksman himself may please. From this description it may be thought that the apparatus is, if not cumbrous, at least a complicated piece of machinery. - No idea, however, could be more remote from the real facts of the case, and whatever complexity may appear to exist in this invention arises solely from' the difficulty of describing the action of screws and springs with as much ease and simplicity as they work themselves. As compared with the Prussian needlegun tlie efficiency of the Eii-lish breechloader is nearly four times greater in all that relates to accuracy of aim or rapidity of fire, while as regards the safety and ease with which the breech mechanism is worked it is beyond any degree of comparison. There are eight distinct movements of the breech required to load and fire the needlegun — there are only four necessary in Mr. Snider's. Seven rounds per minute have been fired from the Prussian gun, and the average is four, while 21 rounds per minute have been fired from the English breechloaders, and the average, it is believed, will be 10. One of the great objections '. to the use of these weapons was the reason alleged that the men would fire away their ammunition so fast that jilmost every other man 'would require a special tumbril for his own supply. It is a curious fact, however, that, as far as our military authorities have yet been able to ascertain, the Prussian soldiers in the recent great battles do not appear to have used a single round more of ball cartridge than the Austrians. In fact, in some cases where the Prussianachieved decided successes, their expenditure of small ammunition was actually stated to have been lower than what would, under similar circumstances, have been looked for as likely to occur with our own . troops while using muzzleloaders. The Prussian fire, in fact, seems to have been short and decisive, - and never having been commenced but at tbe proper moment, and then, with a rapid and devastating effect, to have carried all before it. The argument, therefore, as to the wasteful expenditure of ammunition becomes absolutely worthless, if the military statistics of the Prussians are to be relied on, and they are the only nation that have ever used breechloaders in their army, and used them, too, with an effect which has astonished all Europe. If breechloaders only superseded the necessity of capping the guns they would effect an immense improvement. The present weapon of Mr. Snider has been tested in every way in which it is possible to test an invention of the kind. It has been tried with gas to ascertain leakage, with the strongest charges of powder; it has been left out under water and to rust both loaded and unloaded, and in no instance has it yet been found to fail. Three targets "made" with three of these trial weapons actually gave a mean deviation of only a little over four inches, at a range of 500 yards. So, too, the brass-coated ammunition is a great improvement from its strength aud waterproof protection. Of course neither soldier nor civilian thinks of putting his ammunition into water for five or six hours before using it, but it is at least a comfort to know that in the event of such an unpleasant contingency happening it might occur to these cartridges without in the slightest degree affecting them. Any one who knows how careless soldiers in the field are of their cartridge boxes, and how frequently they are left out in the rain and always more or less exposed to damp, will appreciate the value of even the most temporary waterproofing for cartridges. One brigade at the battle of the Alma was rendered, almost defenceless through numbers of the men getting their cartridges wet while fording the river. No less than 40,000,000 rounds of this improved ammunition have been ordered, and, as we have said, 250,000 breechloaders have been more or less commenced upon, aud both guns and cartridges will be ready by the Ist of April. Tl is is a fact upon which we can most sincerely congratulate the country, and General Peel deserves every praise for the energy aud industry with which he has acted in the matter.

A proclamation in the General Government Gazette, notifies that cii raters of intestate estales are to give a joint bond with two sureties in the sum of £2000, for the due execution, of their trusts. Quite an exciting affair has occurred (writes the Waikouaiti correspondent of the . Otago N.ews Letter) in our midst — that is, at the Golden Fleece — one evening last week. A Waikouaiti resident — an indefatigable denouncer of everything and everybody, Julius Vogel and the ' Waikouaiti Buster' included — spoke of that local production in Blighting and contemptuous terms to its joint editor and part proprietor. This gentleman considering himself injured by the terms applied, and feeling ruffled at the demeanor of the critic, aimed a blow at his tormentor,' aud hut for the intervention of bystanders, a tragical issue might have supervened. " Plold me or I'll fight" was, I am informed, the exclamation of each excited belligerent. The Independent reports a clever capture of an abscondiug debtor named Cole, by Constable Burke. Cole was on board the Lizzie Scott, bound for Callao, stored away iu the foresail. The Wellington papers bear testimony to the services of J. Forrester & Co., successors of Cobb & Co., in opening up the country on the West Coast and the Wairarapa. When the roads have been impassable for coaches, the mails have been forwarded on horseback, thus setting flooded rivers and bad weather ,_at defiance. : " The birds that were imported by the Wellington Provincial Government, were sold by auction a few days ago. The prices realised were as follow : English pheasants, £2 4s. each ; silver pheasants, £1 ss. each ; golden pheasants, £1 16s. each ; thrushes, larks, each, £2 10s. the cage ; French partridges, £2 10s. each. An examination of school teachers and candidates from all parts of Wellington province, will be held at Wellington early in January next. The Wellington Independent states that should the Hebrew population at the Hutt, increase in the same ratio that it has done , during the past few months, it is intended to apply to the Government for a piece of laud whereon to erect a synagogue. The Independent announces the departure of Major Von Tempsky, from Wellington for Auckland. It says the Government were too poor to offer him employment. Should any danger, however, arise iu the North, the Government will be ready to employ him again in the field. Two thousand acres of available agricultural land between the Hutt and Pahautanui districts, have been thrown open for selection at tho Wellington laud office. The Government have pardoned the Maori prisoner Peuetito, who was convicted with four others of the murder of Mi'. Volkner and sentenced to death. His sentence was afterwards commuted to 12 months penal servitude, This has now been rescinded ou condition that Mr. George Graham of Auckland, shall be responsible for his safe custody during the unexpired portion of his commuted sentence. We learn from the Hawke's Bay Times that a meeting Avas held in the Council Chamber on the evening of Tuesday, 23rd October, at 7 o'clock, for the purpose of forming a Company of Voluuteer Artillery, his Honor the Superintendent in the chair. The chairman said that the past few days had shown necessity for forming such a corps as the one proposed. The Province of Hawke's Bay had shown that it was prepared to carry out the principles of self-reliance; and the zeal and energy displayed by its settlers in the trying circumstances in which they had beeu placed reflected the highest eredit upon them. He hoped that with the prisoners recently departed to the Chatham Islands they had seen the last of the rebellion iu this district, but this province was not so secure from iuvasion that such a step as the one now contemplated was unnecessary. Mr. M'Lean concluded amidst great applause. ' Among the killed in the late skirmish at Hawke's Bay, was one Kingita, a Hau Hau prophet. This man was one of. the earliest

agitators of Kingism in Hawke's Bay, raid during the years 1860-1, he made a tour of the proviuces iu the Middle Island, seeking converts. The Auckland papers of October 27th, state that the convict Robinson is still at large. The constables have sought him in vain, after having traversing the greater portion of the Kaipara, and extending their search to the Wade. He has been seen by a great number of persons and has assaulted one or two. He struck a Mr. Lawsou senseless, and ran off with his clothes. The sufferer is in a precarious state. Robinson is continually turning up iu new places, from which he disappears mysteriously. He has told the persons he has met, that he is , anxious to get out of the country. He- has gone southwards. A proclamation offering £20 reward for Robinson's apprehension has been issued in English and Maori. The description given is as follows : Age, about 26 years ; height, 5 feet 8 inches ; complexion, fresh ; hair, fair, and very short ; eyes, blue ; square features. Supposed to be dressed in a very old drab coat, and a pair of lace up boots. We learn from the Auckland papers of Nov. 3, that two men named Johu Elcock and J. M'Alley, have been brought before the presiding justices, and charged by the manager of the New Zealand Insurance Co. with maliciously setting fire to properties in Chancery Lane, on the 23rd ult. M'Alley has divulged the whole circumstances of the fire and has been accepted as a witness of the Crown. He has confessed to having purchased a quantity of tar and kerosine at the request of Elcock, who set set fire to the property in question, placing a bag of rubbish under Regan's house and applying a lighted match to ifc. He then set fire to an old bag in his own house. The dispersion and decrease of the dispossessed Waikato tribes is exemplified by the case of the Ngatipou, formerly of Tuakau, near Auckland. They suffered little during the war, but since have lost their chief, Kiiraka Tomo ; his sister, Rangiwe, formerly chief woman of all Waikato ; and most of their chiefs ; and they are now living dispersed at Raglan, Kawhia, Hangitiki,° and Wairoa, near Tauranga. The following extract from a private letter from Napier to the Daily Southern Cross, gives a somewhat lower estimate of the efficiency and discipline of the Hawke's Bay Volunteers than that furnished by the accounts that have been already published: — There appears to be some blame attached to the generalship. The Volunteers and Miiitia were so posted that they appeared to have fired upon each other; and if the medical men would speak, I believe it would be found that the causalties were not caused by the Maoris: a Minie ball did one bit of damage, aud it is now known that the Maoris had no Government weapons. It is a question whether Milif'a and Volunteers, who are very imperfectly up in their drill, should be called upon to do the active work if regulars are to be got. There are 50 of the 12th here, who begged to go, but the Superintendent would not have them. One of the dangerously wounded said immediately after he was shot, that it came from behind, from amongst our own men. Routledge got a stab from a bayouet which was awkwardly handled by some one near him, and one or two affairs of the same sort occurred. The Maoris' weapons, I am told, were old and inferior. The affair altogether bears a very awkward face on it. All honor to the men themselves, who behaved in a most plucky manner. I expect there is more of this work in store for us here. I wonder if McLean feels quite satisfied. I question it. The twentieth session of the Provincial 'Council of Auckland has been summoned to meet on Monday, the 12th of November.