The Press.
London, England, 1855-08-25 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

dation for the activity and zeal which they
displayed ; but with Admiral DIINDAB the cap-
tains claim all the credit. The means at the dis-
posal of the Admiral were, of course, insuffi-
cient: we had about forty-three gun and mortar
boats, where we ought to have had three times
the number; and, in consequence, half the
mortars were rendered useless by too constant
firing, and the resources of the Admiral
seriously crippled for ulterior operations. As
an experiment of mortar practice the attack
has proved highly successful, but the loss in-
flicted upon the Russians, in a military point
of view, is trivial ; the real strength of the
position remains intact, and by next year will
be materially increased—barracks and bat-
teries will be rebuilt and casemated, new
arsenals sunk in the solid rock, and every
precaution which science and ingenuity can
devise will be put into practice to avert a
recurrence of the results of such an attack as
that on the 9th. Had the Government done
its duty, and fitted out a fleet of gun and
mortar boats sufficient in number and force to
cope successfully with the Russian defences,
we should not have heard of the retirement of
our fleet after inflicting on the enemy a forty-
five hours' bombardment. At first the coun-
try was disposed to accept Sweaborg as a
triumph to its arms ; it is beginning to feel
now that the affair is hardly a victory—little
more, indeed, as we said from the first, than
a simple success.

NASMYTH'S WROUGHT•IRON
ORDNANCE.

IT is nearly a year ago since we first heard a
great deal upon the subject of wrought-iron
guns. We were informed that a large Manches-
ter house was to make mortars and guns of
monstrous calibre, that the shells were to be
from half a ton up to a ton in weight, and the
power of the ordnance great enough to throw
them from three to four miles. It was gratify-
ing to hear such promises from people whom
it was fair to consider must have given them-
selves great trouble to ascertain the practica-
bility of the manufacture of these huge agents
ofdestruction, and we were prepared to welcome
the realisation of their designs with becoming
pride. We pictured the security of our ships
lying far out of range of the enemy's fire, and
with these mortars battering down the most
formidable strongholds. We say we were pre-
pared, at the time Mr. NasmrrEt's letters
appeared, to believe all that was promised ;
but as time flies, so does our confidence in the
production of the " big guns." We heard that
they were commenced last year, and, of course,
we expected to see some of them in actual use
this season; but up to this moment all that is
known upon the subject is that one of them is
forged, that it is a huge lump of iron, and that
it has not yet been turned or bored. Until the
latter operation is effected, it is, of course, im-
possible to say whether this monster gun will
succeed or not. So much for the despatch
exercised in the work. We are quite aware of
the novelty of attempting the manufacture of
such colossal masses of iron—of the time it
takes to heat and forge them—and of the
preparations required for handling them. But
we cannot help expressing our conviction that
it would have been well to have made a trial
of constructing ordnance of malleable iron of
such a size as would have guided the authori-
ties in their estimate of the utility of wrought-
iron mortars and guns before undertaking the
prodigious experiment on which Mr. NASMYTH
is engaged.
The subject is by no means new. As re-
gards the manufacture of small ordnance,
very successful trials have taken place ; but
with large pieces the case is wholly different,
and we are afraid that they cannot be pro
duJed. The largest wrought-iron gun ever
made in this country was forged on the banks
of the Mersey, by clever men, for the Americans,
and was proved heavily before it was sent out.
It was placed on board the United States
frigate Princeton, and in practice, shortly after,
burst and caused a lamentable loss of life on
board. Even since v,e heard of the present
intention of making these enormous mortars,

799

a trial was made by a clever practical man in
Staffordshire, who forged a huge Lancaster
gun, had it finished by the most eminent
cannon-makers of the day, and sent to Wool-
wich for trial. It burst with the first regular
service charge ! From this failure we are
justified in looking with distrust upon the
experiment now in progress. If such monster
ordnance of wrought iron can be produced, it
is surely time we heard something of the
completion of the one in hand, for if it takes
ten months to make even half a dozen the
operation is too slow to be of much avail. We
believe the most sanguine amongst practical
men admit the uncertainty of making sound
work of such masses of iron : the larger the
mass tl greater the risk of success, and the
greater the extra cost on account of such risk.

On the whole, we are strongly of opinion
that it is impossible to produce ordnance of
such magnitude as that projected to stand the
ordinary wear and tear of war, and that the
nine or ten months of procrastination and
delay which have taken place will result in
failure, through those practical considerations
(which practical men alone can weigh and
justly estimate) not having been taken into
account on which the success or failure of the
experiment must depend.

GENERAL BEATSON.
WITH reference to the report which prevailed in
town about a fortnight ago of the murder of General
Beatson by his Bashi-Bazouks, a friend, who has
lately visited the camps at the Dardanelfes, writes
us word that though the gallant General was happily
not killed by his rebellious soldiery, yet that there
was imminent danger at one time that such would
have been his fate:—

He had caused one of the men to be imprisoned for
some grave offence. The prisoner's comrades seized their
arms, rushed to the General's house, and vowed to
massacre himself and all hie family, unless the culprit
were released. General lieatson succumbed to their
threats. The man was liberated and rejoined his com-
rades, who were more insubordinate than ever. It appears
very doubtful whether, after all, the labour and expense
bestowed upon these undisciplined hordes will not have
been thrown away. The Arabs, who 'compose the
majority of these irregulars, are arrant thieves. The
Arnaouts ravish and murder, as well as pillage; and the
Albanians are supposed to be far from well affected to the
cause in which they are engaged. Discipline is out of the
question. When they are drawn up in line you occa-
sionally see a solitary horseman dart away from his com-
rades, skirt the plain for a mile or so, yelling and firing
his pistol at intervals, and then calmly ride back and
take up his proper place again. They are superbly mounted,
but most cruel horsemen, fretting their horses terribly with
their great savage bits. They will never, I fancy—and
my military friends agree with me—become useful soldiers.
They are a picturesque set of villains, and if, in their first
action, they do not she w that they are cowards as well as
thieves and murderers, I shall be very thankful. For my
own part, I believe they are dangerous only to the peaceful
inhabitants of the country and to their English officers,
who are by no means exercising an enviable command.
A Greek merchant landed the other day at the Dar-
danelles I never saw so ludicrous a personification of •
terror as this man, when he approached the place infested
by the villainous Bashi-Bazouks. A cold sweat broke out
on his face and forehead—he was more blue than white
with fear—he trembled in every limb. I never pitied a
man so much in my life, for God knows the poor fellow
had cause enough to tremble.

abundant in quantity and various in kind, and that good
boats and gear used with common skill will suffice to
successfully develop the fisheries of the Irish coast.
Every experii...ent which has been tried has suc-
ceeded, and at this moment, with the partial and
slovenly mode of fishing as it is now practised off the
coast, an abundant supply, as far as it is required, is
obtained with ease. Every description of fish is
found—turbot, sole, brill, plaice, doreys, lobsters,
ling, eels, mackerel, salmon, herrings, and sprats,
&c.—and wasted in tons in summer time from want of
means to reach a market and the proper appliances
for curing or preserving them. So plentiful and
cheap is turbot, solely from want of a system which
could insure its despatch to the London, Dublin,
or other markets, that large numbers from 91b.
to 261bs. weight are sold in Galway for 18s. a dozen,
and moreover are frequently cut up for bait. Add to
these facts the existence of a large body of men
on the southern and western coasts inured to the
life, ready and willing to work, and anxious for better
appliances for the means by which the London
markets could be reached in order to improve their
own condition, and to be enabled to obtain a fair
profit for their labours, and who can say that a finer
field exibis fur the employment of capital or for the im-
provement and self-development of Ireland ? There
are ample materials ready to the hand; the cause
which has retarded the development of such a
valuable trade is simply the inefficient means and
inadequate capital employed in the attempt. Not
only has the Mill 13s e-Imin to contend with the
ordinary vicissitudes of wind and weather, the diffi-
culties common to his calling, but with crazy boats
and imperfect tackle, and the haggling of petty curers,
who, at the distance from market at which the fisher-
man's trade is carried on, can generally get small
quantities of fish at their own price, while a larger
draught than usual is rendered perfectly useless
from the want of capital in the buyer and the ab-
sence of sufficient means of curing on the spot.
Thus, he is wholly deprived of the fair reward which
he might realise from his labour, despite his skill
and perseverance ; and grateful would he be for the
opportunity of a fair price for his cargo and a ready
market for its sale. These remarks have occurred to
us from the perusal of a pamphlet dedicated to
Lord C.UILISLE by Commander SYMONDS, R.N. The
gallant officer speaks from his own experience when
he enters upon the subject, for since the summer of
'54 he has been carefully examining into the capabi-
lities of the coasts, collecting facts, and making ex-
periments personally. These experiments, he states,
were all highly successful, and he is fully impressed
with the perfect practicability of forming a system of
fishing which should, by a combination and arrange-
ment of the most improved modes in use, and of the
application of boats of a proper size and tonnage in
o injunction with steam-transport and a proper plan of
salting and curing, effect immense improvements
over the partial and desultory fishing as now prac-
tised, supply the markets, stimulate the trade, and,
in developing this rich resource of Ireland, encourage
her fishermen, and open out to them a new source of
wealth and prosperity.
In the fishing trade regularity and punctuality in
the delivery are eminently desired even in our appa-
rently well-stocked markets. The want of punctuality
in the arrivals is severely felt by the traders, and
screw carriers from the Irish fisheries to the coast
will not only insure regularity, but save immense
time and profit which is now lost by sailing-vessels in
foul winds. It is " England's enterprise" which is" Ire-
land's opportunity ;" and if any such projected scheme
be completely we have little doubt about its success,
provided it be carried out on economical and com-
mercial principles. It is only capital which is needed
to develop Ireland's resources. Starvation and sad
misery have torn aside many of the prejudices of the
lower classes. They appear at last to understand
that a Saxon is not necessarily a tyrant; and when
they begin to reap the benefits of his enterprise and
skill they are no longer jealous of his success.

A CASE FOR THE AIDMIIstISTRATIVE
TIEFORMERS.

Ti: City of Wells has been represented since the
year 1837 by the Right lion. G. W. HATTER. The
constituency consists of 300 electors, and the follow.
ing list of places given by Mr. HATTER to his Whig
supporters appears in the Herta auarclian of Satnr-

- .
day last:—
Allen, John, printer, customs—a freeman of Wells.
Berry, James, basket-maker, letter-carrier, Wells--ditto.
Burr, James, chorister, customs—eon of Joseph Burr, a
Wells voter.
Barnes, tinman, excise—brother of Jacob Barnes, Jitto.
ti inning, Charles J., draper, customs—son of Charles
Binning, ditto.
Barnard, William, butcher, customs—son of John Bar-
nard, ditto.
Badeoeke, A., (supposed) customs—son of Henry Bad-
woke, ditto.,