the shot. These smooth cannon, when Gun-Cotton is applied in the form of wooden reel cartridges, require, accordingly, for the same reason, only to be of fewer calibres in length, because after the shot has passed a few such lengths in the barrel or cylinder, the gases then first coming to combustion can exercise no propellant force, or at any rate, only a most insignificant propulsion on the projectile, whilst on the contrary, when Gunpowder is applied, the length of calibre of the gun must increase with the magnitude of the charge, just because the rate of combustion of Gunpowder is slower; and as a general rule the tension of the gases considerably increase as long as the shot is still in the barrel. The well-known phenomenon of the smooth bore fowling-piece, that in spite of its respectable length some of the gunpowder still flies out unburnt, whence it follows logically that a lengthening of the barrel is necessary, will never be observable in the case of Gun-Cottor. On the contrary, for this material, the fowling piece might be reduced to the length of a pistol, and the ordinary pistols to that of an inch or two. So it would have suited Swift's Lilliputians, "who were not greater in size than an ordinary man's finger."

Such are the very serious objections to the military use of Gun Cotton; and even if by a long course of experiments (in Baron Liebig's "future") and comprehensive alterations in the construction of firearms, of projectiles, of the method of loading, &c., we arrive at last at a positive and safe shot, and an invariable uniformity of effect, yet here the requirements of this ideal force, requirements passing all bounds in their revolutionary character, must be admitted to be rather weighty, if not extravagant and overwhelming, On account of these secondary considerations, it is probable that the introduction of GunCotton must be delayed, at any rate as ammunition of war, for a generation or two. A modification of Gun-Cotton that could get rid of its unpliability, its fixity and stubbornness, and be free from its imperfections, would be the right sort of Gun-Cotton to take the place of Gunpowder; but such an invention is simply "a consummation devoutly to be wished for," scarcely attainable. The character of Gun-Cotton remains unalterably as stubborn as the character of Gunpowder is manageable and pliant. The only pliancy that Gun-Cotton at present displays is in the Collodion-film, upon which the photographer delivers his more or less effective "shots,” at “the human face divine," or the beauties and horrors of universal nature.

Had Gun-Cotton been discovered at the time of the invention of Gunpcwder instead of the latter, it seems certain that it would have been at once employed, and that every thing connected with a portable force would then have been constructed on the basis of the use of Gun-Cotton. Let us carry out this picture, and how infinitely different would the development of our fire-arms and all that has to do with them have been on the basis of Gun-Cotton, as compared with the system now actually existing. Nothing could possibly be more divergent, antagonistic. The affinity between the two forces is too remote. They have in common only the same generic name-"force." Beyond this, there is no quality common to both, no bridge of transition from one to the other.

No one could rejoice more than I should if the foregoing facts and reasoning can be refuted, for it would indeed be an universal blessing if we could get rid of our "villanous saltpetre" with all its manifold defects and inconveniences. Discussion on the subject would, therefore, be very desirable, both to those concerned in the manufacture of GunCotton, and those who are invited to use it.

Your obedient servant,

INSTRUCTOR OF MUSKETRY.

U. S. MAG. No. 447, FEB. 1866.

U

A FEW REMARKS ON THE PRESENT FREQUENCY OF CHOLERA IN STATIONS OCCUPIED BY EUROPEAN

it

TROOPS IN INDIA.

The present more frequent visitations of Cholera in Stations in India, where European Forces are assembled, becoming yearly more prevalent, may be well to draw attention to what may be considered some of the principal causes for what used formerly to be so unprecedented, as the present, (it may be said) adherence of that fearful disease to particular localities inhabited by Europeans; and which cannot but be viewed as a gaining on us of that dire disease, in spite of all our vaunted sanitary measures, precautions, &c.

The causes alluded to are as follows:-Firstly.-The far inferior rations now issued to the troops, particularly in meat, to what they used to be in former days. This latter may be caused by the now greater demand for it; together with the fact that petty contractors are now admitted to competition by that suicidal passion of the day-Financial Economy-and which completely defeats all measures, precautions &c. on the part of the Military Authorities; and a commanding officer is completely helpless in the matter of securing good and wholesome food for his men, being forced to accept what is issued by the commnissariat, orallow his men to starve. Boards of officers, appeals to the general commanding the division &c. are equally futile; they, (the generals) being quite as helpless as himself, though the remedy is easy, and at hand, and in full practice by the butchers who supply the officers messes, families &c. viz. that of stall-feeding during the Monsoon months, but this, of course, entails an extra charge which it cannot be expected that the State can be put to for the soldiers;—or so, at least, think our economical "pennywise and pound-foolish" rulers! The contract price for both beef and mutton in India averages 8 lbs for the rupee, or 3d per lb; whereas the cantonment price is about double that-say 6d per lb.

Now the reason of this great difference in price is caused principally by the fact that the meat for private customers is generally stall-fed, and that issued to the troops is only grass-fed. During the monsoon months, the rank state of the grass is such as to invariably cause diarrhoea, dysentery and other cattle diseases; particularly amongst the sheep, numbers of which die and whole flocks remain in a diseased state during the prevalence of the rains and for weeks after; yet these are the animals who have their "throats cut to save their lives," and are issued as a ration to the European Soldiers in India under the present rule of the Financial-Economical Mania!

Secondly. The unwholesome state in which water is supplied to the men is another cause of much of the unhealthiness amongst the European troops, and until this needful element (more particularly essential in a tropical climate) is properly laid on and abundantly supplied in a wholesome state, our Indian Cantonments, Garrisons &c., will continue to increase in unhealthiness, and the inhabitants of them be subject to cholera, dysentery, diarrhoea, guinea-worm &c. &c.

Nothing can be more wretched and filthy than the present mode of supplying this necessity of life, viz, by conveyance in partially tanned leather bags; and leaving the miserable water-carriers at liberty to take the water from the nearest pool or hole.

Every drop of drinking water should not only be laid on, but filtered on the most scientific principles before being supplied to the men, and not as at present left to be furnished by the " Bheasties" or watercarriers, and filtered by that wretched subterfuge the earthenware-pots now in use, for, though they may answer well enough when carefully superintended in private families, yet it can scarcely be said to be in keeping with the advance of the age, and is at best but a mere "make

shift," which requires constant watching, not only to keep up the necessary supply of clean charcoal, sand &c., but likewise to prevent the said water-pots (so called filterers) from becoming so many small cess-pools," (they may be called) distributed throughout the barracks &c., particularly during, and immediately after the monsoon, when the water is more abundantly impreguated with vegetable decayed matter

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&c.

Thirdly.-Want of sewerage is another great cause of the insalubrity of the European Cantonments in India. Yes, strange as it may appear, the Military cantonments in India have not yet arrived at that pitch of modern civilization;-no, not even for their Hospitals! and the old open privies remain still in the most primitive style; and are disgusting in the extreme.

These are supposed to be cleaned out every morning by scavengers employed for the purpose, but from one cause and another they frequently remain untouched for days. At one time it is a strike among the said scavengers, who from the fact they are few in number and that no Caste can be induced to perform such duties, are the most independent and drunken race in India. At another time it is the want of carts, as under the present tightness of the Financial Screw, not even a spare filth-cart is allowed in excess, in case of break-down &c.; and this frequently happens as the said carts are generally of contract manufacture, and consequently "cheap and dirty," the latter more so than even need be, for it is seldom that there is not a considerable leakage from them, and as they travel through the whole, and every part of the Cantonment just before day-break, it may be imagined the effect they have in poisoning the air, at the very time it is required to be most pure; as it must be remembered that in India the early morning (day-break) is the time at which the troops are out for parades, &c., and the other inhabitants of the Cantonment for air and their principal daily exercise.

Fourthly. The mode of carrying out the training of the troops is likewise prolific of much injury to health. The season for this is immediately after the rains, when the ground is generally not only swampy, but the grass on most parades ankle-deep, at least, and in most large Cantonments now in India, as in England, it is the fashion to have grand weekly field-days; and it is no uncommon thing for a whole force to be under arms from 3 o'clock of a damp, wet morning, till 9. A.M. with a burning sun, during the first three hours of which the Infantry are generally wet up to their knees from the swampy ground and long grass, wet with the heavy dew or rain of the previous night.

This of itself must be admitted to be bad enough, but when added to this it is taken into consideration that some of the corps come heated upon the ground from some two or three miles march to it, and there halt sufficiently long to get a severe chill whilst the force is forming up, taking up position &c., and again at intervals often of some half-hours together whilst the general is endeavouring to extricate himself from the meshes of some impossible manoeuvre. It may be imagined how the constitution must suffer from a continuance of such practices, yet let the doctors and commanding officers remonstrate as they will, no heed is taken by these now-a-days would-be smart generals, of what would interfere with their reports of the smartness of the forces under their command; and a well-known smart adjutant-general has been heard to say "Well, if they can't stand that, they are not fit for soldiers and the sooner they are out of the service the better," and so do they go out of the service by the hundred to untimely graves, by this and other equally unnecessary and injudicious measures.

It is not meant to suggest by this that there should be no parades, drills, trainings &c., but simply that they should be more judiciously

carried out. The practise of commencing immediately that the rains have stopped and whilst the ground is still in a swampy and unfit state should be discontinued, and no troops, except on some special occasions, should leave their barracks until after day-break, or be under arms for more than two hours at a time; for nothing is more tiresome, worrying and disgusting to the men than being long under arms, except perhaps that continued "drill, drill, and nothing but drill," another of the manias of the present day that is doing so much to dishearten both men and officers; in fact it is a case of "all work and no play making Jack a dull boy." G. T. HALY, Col.

CRITICAL NOTICES.

NOTES ON THE BATLTE OF WATERLOO. By the late General Sir James Shaw Kennedy, K.C.B, acting at the time of the Battle on the Quartermaster-General's Staff of the Third Division of the Army. With a brief Memoir of his Life and Services, and Plan for the Defence of Canada.

Often as the battle of Waterloo has been fought over, Sir James Shaw Kennedy has found much to say that has not been said before, his position on the staff of the Third Division giving him better oppor tunities of information than perhaps fell to the lot of any other officer engaged, derived not only from his own observation, but from personal contact during the progress of the battle with Generals Alten, Halkett, Maitland and Kruse, as also with the Duke of Wellington, the Prince of Orange, the Quartermaster-General, and others, which gave him the advantage of learning their opinions also. Added to this, he had seen and compared all the published accounts of the battle up to the time that his own notes were written (April, 1863), and it will be evident at once that his is a valuable contribution to the history of the period. He writes in a calm and judicial manner, and he does not hesitate to point out what he thinks were mistakes and shortcomings, on the part of both the great Captains engaged. He maintains that all great commanders commit mistakes in the course of their operations, and that there is no presumption in criticising them. The plan for the defence of Canada, recommends the erections of a number of forts, somewhat on the plan and scale of those now in course of erection in England. The brief memoir is autobiographical, and is of much interest. From it we take the following extract which vividly brings before us the Great Duke.

"During the siege of Ciudad Rodrigo, the Light Division was quartered at Guinaldo, &c., and had, therefore, a march of some eight or ten miles to make, and had to ford the Agueda each time that it was taken forward to the place. On the day preceding the night on which the place was stormed, the division was ordered forward to the place in the open daylight, consequently its movement was seen from the place. After the division had commenced its march, General Craufurd sent me forward to inform the Duke of Wellington that the division was in march towards the place, and requesting his grace's instructions, both as to the line of march to be followed by the division upon approaching the place, and also as to where and how the division was to form. I found the Duke's staff near to the convent of St. Francisco, and said I wished to see the Duke. They pointed out the Duke sitting by himself under the shelter of a wall, writing, and said that I could not speak to him, as he was writing orders for the assault. I, of course, paid no attention to this warning, but, going directly up to the Duke, delivered General Craufurd's message. He stopped writing,

heard attentively the message, gave clear and distinct answers to it, and instructions as to the march and formation of the division, and after doing so resumed writing. Here, then, we see this great man defer writing his instructions for the assault to the last moment, and writing those instructions in the open air, within the fire of the place, in a winter day, without engineer, staff officer, or any documents to refer to, the whole being evidently the pouring out of his own views and determinations, and, as seen afterwards, written in the most perspicuous and clear terms. His having delayed the writing of the order to the last moment was evidently with the view of its embracing every circumstance that might occur, so as to comprehend and provide for everything upon the circumstances as they actually should stand when the assault was given."

MEMORIALS OF SERVICE IN INDIA. From the Correspondence of the late Major Samuel Charters Macpherson, C.B., Political Agent at Gwalior during the Mutiny, and formerly employed in the Suppression of Human Sacrifices in Orissa. Edited by his Brother, William Macpherson. With Portrait and Illustrations.

Mr. Macpherson has done well in putting on record the services of his brave and talented brother, particularly as their official recognition appears to have been tardy; indeed, the exactment that belongs to him in connection with the suppression of human sacrifices in Orissa is still sub judice. If our readers will turn to our pages for the month of December, 1863, they will see that great work ascribed to Captain, now Major-General John Campbell, C.B., the author of "A Personal Narrative of Thirteen Years' Service amongst the Wild Tribes of Khondistan for the Suppression of Human Sacrifice." This claim is the subject of a correspondence between Mr. Macpherson and the General, which appears in the present work, and the volume itself is mainly devoted to its examination. We say mainly, not because the book does not contain much interesting matter on other subjects, but because the bringing forward of the claims of Major Macpherson has evidently been the cause of its being written. It is, of course, very desirable to hear both sides of any question, and therefore we have gone over the statements of both parties. It may not entirely satisfy either, when we record our conviction, that each laboured hard in the cause of humanity, but that an undoubted claim for the whole honour of the work, cannot be established for either to the exclusion of the other.

A NOBLE LIFE. By the Author of "John Halifax, Gentleman," Christian's Mistake," &c., &c. vols.

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Readers of Miss Muloch's former works will have little difficulty in surmising the general tenour of the present one. With her, whatever is good, earnest, self-denying, is "gentlemanly," or "noble," and this too in the true sense of the words, without any regard to the actual social position of her hero or heroine. In the present instance, we have an earl for one of the principal figures, and the term, “noble life," may be applied to his in either sense; but we are at a loss to decide who really leads the noblest life-the crippled peer, the simple-hearted Scottish minister, Dr. Cardross, or Helen, that minister's daughter. The story is so simple, so little complicated with plot and counterplot, that we have no choice between stating its outline and saying nothing about it. The scene, then, is mainly in a Highland parish, where the Earl of Cairnforth is accidentally drowned on the loch in sight of his wife, who dies a few days after, in giving birth to an only son. This poor child, who is a helpless cripple, but is possessed of rare intelligence, is placed in the care of Dr. Cardross, where he is treated with almost