GUN

, a fire-arm, or weapon of offence, which forcibly discharges a ball or other matter through a cylindrical tube, by means of inflamed gun-powder.

The word Gun now includes most of the species of fire-arms; mortars and pistols being almost the only ones excepted from this denomination. They are divided into great and small guns: the former including all that are usually called cannon, ordnance, or artillery; and the latter includes musquets, firelocks, carabines, musquetoons, blunderbusses, fowling-pieces, &c.

It is not certainly known at what time these weapons were first invented. And though the introduction of guns into the western part of the world is but of modern date, comparatively speaking; yet it is certain that in some parts of Asia they have been used for many ages, though in a very rude and imperfect manner. Philostratus speaks of a city near the river Hyphafis in the Indies, which was said to be impregnable, and that its inhabitants were relations of the gods, because they threw thunder and lightning upon their enemies; and other Greek authors, as also Quintus Curtius, speak of the same thing having happened to Alexander the Great. Hence some have imagined that guns were used by the eastern nations in his time, while others suppose the thunder and lightning alluded to by those authors, were only certain artificial fire-works, or rockets, such as we know are used in the wars by the Indians even in the present day against the Europeans. Be this however as it may, it is asserted by many modern travellers, that Guns were used in China as far back as the year of Christ 85, and have continued in use ever fince.

The first hint of the invention of Guns in Europe, is in the works of Roger Bacon, who flourished in the 13th century. In a treatise written by him about the year 1280, he proposes to apply the violent explosive force of gun-powder for the destruction of armies. And though it is certainly known that the composition of gun-powder is described by Bacon in the said work, yet the invention has usually, though improperly, been ascribed to Bartholdus Schwartz, a German monk, who it is said discovered it only in the year 1320; and the invention is related in the following manner. Schwartz having, for some purpose, pounded nitre, sulphur, and charcoal together, in a mortar, which he afterwards covered imperfectly with a stone, a spark of fire accidentally fell into the mortar, which setting the mixture on fire, the explosion blew the stone to a considerable distance. Hence it is probable that Schwartz might be taught the simplest method of applying it in war; for it rather seems that Bacon conceived the manner of using it to be by the violent effort of the flame unconfined, and which is indeed capable of producing as<*>onishing effects. (See Gunpowder.) And the figure and name of mortars given to a species of old artillery, and their employment, in throwing large stone bullets at an elevation, very much favour this conjecture.|

Soon after the time of Schwartz, we sind Guns commonly used as instruments of war. Great guns were first used. These were originally made of iron-bars soldered together, and fortified with strong iron hoops or rings; several of which are still to be seen in the Tower of London, and in the Warren at Woolwich. Others were made of thin sheets of iron rolled up together and hooped: and on particular emergencies some have been made of leather, and of lead, with plates of iron or copper. These sirst pieces were executed in a rude and imperfect manner, like the sirst essays of most new inventions. Stone balls were thrown out of them, and a small quantity of powder used on account of their weakness. They were of a cylindrical form, without ornaments, and were placed on their carriages by rings.

When, or by whom they were first made, is uncertain. It is known however that the Venetians used eannon at the <*>iege of Claudia Jessa, now called Chioggia, in 1366, which were brought thither by two Germans, with some powder and leaden balls; as likewise ín their wars with the Genoese in 1379. But before that, king Edward the 3d made use of cannon at the battle of Cressy in 1346, and at the siege of Calais in 1347. Cannon were employed by the Turks at the siege of Constantinople, then in possession of the Christians, in 1394, and in that of 1452, which threw a weight of 100lb; but they commonly burst at the 1st, 2d, or 3d firing. Louis the 12th had one cast at Tours, of the same size, which threw a ball from the Bastile to Charenton: one of these extraordinary cannon was taken at the siege of Dieu in 1546, by Don John de Castro, and is now in the castle of St. Julian da Barra, 10 miles from Lisbon: the length of is 20 feet 7 inches, its diameter at the middle 6 feet 3 inches, and it threw a ball of 100lb weight. It has neither dolphins, rings, nor button; is of an unusual kind of metal; and it has a large Indostan inscription upon it, which says it was cast in 1400.

Formerly, cannon were dignisied with uncommon names. Thus, Lewis the 12th, in 1503, had 12 brass cannon cast, of an extraordinary size, called after the names of the 12 peers of France. The Spanish and Portuguese called them after their saints. The emperor Charles the 5th, when he marched against Tunis, founded the 12 apostles. At Milan there is a 70 pounder, called the Pimontelle; and one at Bois-le-duc, called the Devil. A 60 pounder at Dover-castle, called Queen Elizabeth's pocket-pistol. An 80 pounder in the Tower of London, brought there from Edinburghcastle, called Mounts-meg. An 80 pounder in the royal arsenal at Berlin, called the Thunderer. An 80 pounder at Malaga, called the Terrible. Two curious 60 pounders in the arsenal at Bremen, called the Messenger of bad news. And lastly an uncommon 70 pounder in the castle of St. Angelo at Rome, made of the nails that fastened the copper-plates which covered the ancient Pantheon, with this inscription upon it, Ex clavis trabalibus porticus Agrippæ.

In the beginning of the 15th century these uncommon names were generally abolished, and the following more universal ones took place, viz,

These curious names of beasts and birds of prey were adopted on account of their swiftness in motion, or of their cruelty; as the falconet, falcon, sacker, and culverin, &c, for their swiftness in flying; the basilisk, serpentine, aspic, dragon, syren, &c, for their cruelty.

But, at present, cannon take their names from the weight of their proper ball. Thus, a piece that discharges a cast-iron ball of 24 pounds, is called a 24 pounder; one that carries a ball of 12 pounds, is called a 12 pounder; and so of the rest, divided into the following sorts, viz,

Ship-guns, consisting in 42, 36, 32, 24, 18, 12, 9, 6, and 3 pounders.

Garrison-guns, in 42, 32, 24, 18, 12, 9, and 6 pounders.

Battering-guns, in 24, 18, and 12 pounders.

Field-pieces, in 12, 9, 6, 3, 2, 1 1/2, 1, and 1/2 pounders.

Mortars, it is thought, have been at least as ancient as cannon. They were employed in the wars of Italy, to throw balls of red-hot iron, stones, &c, long before the invention of shells. These last, it is supposed, were of German invention, and the use of them in war shewn by the following accident; viz, a citizen of Venlo, at a festival celebrated in honour of the duke of Cleves, throwing a number of shells, one of them fell on a house and set it on fire, by which misfortune the greatest part of the town was reduced to ashes. The first account of shells used for military purposes, is in 1435, when Naples was besieged by Charles the 8th. History informs us, with more certainty, that shells were thrown out of mortars at the siege of Wachtendonk, in Guelderland, in 1588, by the earl of Mansfield; and Cyprian Lucar wrote upon the method of filling and throwing such shells in his Appendix to the Colloquies of Tartaglia, printed at London in 1588; where also the compounding and throwing of carcasses and various sorts of fire-works are shewn.

Mr. Malter, an English engineer, first taught the French the art of throwing shells, which they practised at the siege of Motte in 1634. The method of throwing red-hot balls out of mortars was first certainly put| in practice at the siege of Stralsund in 1675 by the elector of Brandenburgh: though some say in 1653 at the siege of Bremen.

Another species of ordnance has been long in use, by the name of Howitzer, which is a kind of medium as to its length, between the cannon and the mortar, and is a very useful piece, for discharging either shells or large balls, which is done either at point-blanc, or at a small elevation.

A new species of ordnance has lately been introduced by the Carron company, and thence called a Carronade, which is only a very short howitzer, and which possesses the advantage of being very light and easy to work.

The species of Guns before mentioned, are now made chiefly of cast iron; except the howitzer, which is of brass, as well as some cannon and mortars.

Muskets were first used at the siege of Rhege in the year 1521. The Spaniards were the first who armed part of their foot with these weapons. At first they were very heavy, and could not be used without a rest. They had match-locks, and did execution at a great distance. On their march the soldiers carried only the rests and ammunition, having boys to bear their muskets after them. They were very slow in loading, not only by reason of the unwieldiness of their pieces, and because they carried the powder and ball separate, but from the time it took to prepare and adjust the match; so that their fire was not near so brisk as ours is now. Afterwards a lighter match-lock musket came in use: and they carried their ammunition in bandeliers, to which were hung several little cases of wood covered with leather, each containing a charge of powder. The muskets with rests were used as late as the beginning of the civil wars in the time of Charles the 1st. The lighter kind succeeded them, and continued till the beginning of the present century, when they also were disused, and the troops throughout Europe armed with firelocks. These are usually made of hammered iron. For the dimensions, construction, and practice of every species of Gun, &c, see the several articles Cannon, Mortar, &c. See also Gunnery.