THE RIFLEMAN'S MANUAL..
We cannot prevent our neighbour from arming himself, either by threats or blandishments. There is but one method by which France, if not shamed, may be fatigued—canny:1e, as she herself would express it—into a cessation from her gigantic efforts to overawe, if not her actual preparations to attack this country. What is that ?— Simply to keep pace with our " ally" in warlike equipment, to be " ready, aye ready," for the fray, to assume an intelligent attitude of defence, to be in a position to avoid the un- dignified provocation of alarm, the temptation of panic, and the excitement of comment, comparison, and reproach. Why should England display any anxiety, even if France were to expend 70,000,000/. instead of 7,000,000/. on naval harbours ? Why should we be troubled if fifty line-of-battle ships were added to the fleet of some new Villaret-Joyeuse, or even Saffron, whom Dumas assures us was so terrible to the " haughty islander" in former days ? We too must build ships ; and it should go hard but we would " better the instruction." The game of fortifica- tion we canuot indeed play. It does not suit our national genius ; nor can we vie with France in keeping up a huge standine. army. But then we do not want to cross the Rhine, or to invade Bel- gium, or to keep down Paris. Our throne is not propped by bayonets. We should imagine that it ought to require at least 400,000 soldiers to gag the press in such a country as France. Our press is not gagged ; but criticises freely even a Royal critic
i of our free institutions. All that we want s to make it suffi- ciently difficult for an enemy to set foot on our shores, and to be able to give a good account of him, should he achieve such an enterprise. All this, however, includes the important item of expense. Well, we cannot help it. Heaven-permitted chance has sent us an expensive neighbour and a costly ally. England must be mistress of the seas, or nothing. There is no middle course—no path of honour or safety for her between positive su- premacy and a speedy result which would make her "a mere satellite of the ocean." In the game of naval preparation, ship for ship, gun for gun, and seaman for seaman, we should soon beat France and hurl a bankrupt Emperor ignominiously: from his throne, without the necessity of firing a shot, save in the pomp of review or practice. The interest of the cost of a single day's desolation of our homes, could such project be accomplished, would effect the great work of insurance against a calamity which no Englishman dares even picture to himself as possible. The excuse, then, of economy is out of the question, although we re- member to have read in the leading journal of Europe, only some six years since, in contempt of the warnings of Sir Charles Napier and. Sir Francis Head and other authorities and no authorities, conscious of the progress of Cherbourg, some such phrase as the following—." We cannot, under any circumstances, afford to spend another shilling in insurance.' That journal is now rather indiscreetly informing the world of some very unpleasant truths. First then ships, and also sailors, who must be secured by a mu- nificent bounty and improved compensation for services, and who must not be subjected to the system by which a crew is only per- fected in discipline in order to be dispersed, and a vessel only got into thorough working trim in order to be dismantled and laid up. Secondly, we need, in addition to the army and a militia which shall be something more than a recruit-feeder, the cheapest and best defence in the shape of an imposing force of rifle volunteers enrolled throughout the length and breadth of Great Britain.
The improvements in the arm which of all others is most adapted to the use of volunteer corps, viz, the rifle, invest the work be- fore us with great importance at this moment. Superiority in the Possession and handling of projectile weapons will give that na- .._• The.B(fleman's Manual; or Rides, and How to Use Them. By Hans Busk, Firdt Lieutenant Victoria Rides. Second edition. Illustrated with nume- rous Engravings. Published by Noble. tion which can display it immense preponderance during the Na- poleonic millennium, which we are assured by the Emperor is about to happen. It was their excellent archery, as well as their strength in hand-to-hand conflicts, which so often gave our forefathers the victory over their opponents. Should Englishmen fail to take as deadly a glance along the barrel of the modern rifle with all its nice adjustments of breech-loading and telescope-sight, of conical bullet and elliptic or four-grooved bore, we may apprehend a great change in the destiny of this empire. The storms of ocean and their own reckless dare-devilry will still give our trained sailors the advantage, where there is anything like an approach to equality of force. The manner in which our naval brigade handled its great guns in the Crimea and India assures us of this. But the French have laboured hard at the rifle both scientifically and practically ; and. when we hear of Captain Minie undertaking: "to hit a man at a distance of 1420 yards three times out of five shots" on the practising ground of Vincennes, and think of the number of French soldiers, picked shots, armed with so deadly a weapon, it suggests unpleasant considerations. There are now, we are told, 14,000 men in the French army armed with the " 1846 model rifle, this unerring and murderous weapon, with its cylindro-conique hollow ball." It is under these circumstances that the.enifieman's Manual, the production of a eentleman of considerable scientific attain- ments, who has made "man' thousand tedious and laborious ex- periments extending over a period of more than twenty years," possesses an extraordinary interest even for the ggeneralreader.
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Perfection either in small arms or heavy ordnance s by no means yet attained in our author's estimation, and. he quotes General Jacob, of unrivalled experience in these matters, to justify his own conclusion. "Judging from experiments made, as an old artillery officer, as well as a rifleman and practical mechanic, I am deli- berately of opinion that a four-grooved rifled iron gun, of a bore of four inches in diameter, weighing not less' than twenty-four hundredweight, could be made to throw shot to a distance of ten miles and more with accuracy." "If this surmise," writes Mr. Busk, "should eventually prove well-founded, it may be prac- ticable, at no distant day for a fleet to bombard a city the in- habitants of which may be unable during the operation even to descry their assailants." Let the gunners of Cherbourg ponder over this supposition. We hardly know whether it is most advisable in our short no- tice to deal with the practical information conveyed by the Rifleman's Manual, or with the suggestions arising out of the facts therein recorded. The consignment for ever of "Brown Bess" to the armoury of antiquities—" that old fossil gun," an we remember to have heard Colonel Cult style it—the proper use of the bayonet, whereon the celebrated traveller, Captain Burton, so plaintively insists in his treatise on that arm—French im- provements and practice—the shape of bullets—the question of long and short stocks, and stocks of one unvarying size made by the orders of routine to suit, as best they may, every man's length of arm and shoulder ; together with the whole science of killing at the greatest possible distance, by the most approved method—all this is fully set forth, explained, and developed in the "Manual." But, perhaps, the most important part of the work is that which treats of the volunteer service. The writer deems with truth.i_ that "no country in the world can boast of such materials for levies of this description as our own." Yet the sad fact must be realized, that we have only at present two regiments of volunteer rifles—the one the Victoria Rifles at Kilburn, London, and the other stationed at Exeter. So eager have been the authorities hitherto to repress the ardour of such corps, that the Victoria Rifles are ex- pressly limited to three hundred men. About forty individuals,. of more or less note and social standing, have lately volunteered. to swell this little baud. to about half the prescribed number. Why is this ? In his father-land, we believe that the Prince Consort has presided at shooting-matches of riflemen. Why should he not do so here ? Imagine what enthusiasm would en- sue, were the Queen to encourage the services of rifle volunteers,. and bestow her Royal presence and countenance on a few of their meetings for target-practice. How soon might these things be- come a fashion, and thence a habit. Of what service would it be to the health and even the morals of our youth, withdrawing them, as it would do, from the debasing atmosphere of the bil- liard-room and the cigar-shop lounge. In the United. States, which are separated from Cherbourg by the Atlantic, and whose extent of territory and resources would afford breathing.-tune lit case of sudden invasion, with what spirit and emulation are volunteer corps kept up. The States can number considerably upwards of 2,000,000 enrolled volunteers. Why should not Eng- land. boast at least her million of armed men, ready to repel in- vasion from her shores ? Then the most troubled alarmist might
sleep in peace, and we might regard with the dignity of indiffer- ence the proceedings of Continental Powers. We should then be spared such proposals as that lately made by a writer in the
Times, who is anxious to see the Leviathan purchased by Govern- ment, in order, if necessary to run down the French ficet, at a speed of twenty-five to thirty miles an hour ! Surely, the publication of such fancies bespeaks a most unbecoming degree of flutteuti excitement, and invites the hostility of our neighbours. A spoken from the Court and sanctioned by the Government would do wonders. As the only thing to dread is a coup de main, so it
should be remembered that neither rifles nor riflemen can be improvised. We should remember the difficulties of Birmingham during the last war to supply the demand for improved weapons. We have much to urge in answer to the Englishman of the old ached, who having little confidence in the amity of France, tells us that every sportsman and rustic would be in arms to repel the invader. "Let 100,000 men land," cries such a one, "and how many would return?" It may be none ; but at what cost to Eng- land.? It is no longer a question of bodily prowess, or of the efficacy of shot-guns and pitchforks. Of what avail are superior stature and muscle under the following circumstances? "At the distance of 1000 yards, a man of ordinary stature presents a mark
little more thon the twelfth of an inch in height, and even at eight hundred yards he only covers a space of the tenth-of-an- inch in altitude." At these distances, which are familiar to modern riflemen, the tallest man, whilst affording a somewhat greater chance to the marksman of hitting him, would scarcely appal his adversary.- by his superior stature. A monkey who could shoot would have, in such circumstances, a decided advantage over a life-guardsman. A bullet from a modern improved rifle will penetrate a column of men, passing through the bodies of several. What would it do when used upon masses of population in un- barricaded streets ? The Emperor of the French has lately armed a portion of his Masseurs with double-barrelled rifles, and extra- ordinary have been made to provide the French navy with revolver pistols. It is a pity, indeed, to think that in the face of this, England does not respond with " amicable " emu- lation, and that a writer like Mr. Busk should have cause to say, in the words of General Jacob, "in truth I have received but little encouragement from authority."
Is it possible that any honest government fears to see the men
of this country armed ? Do they apprehend danger from Hyde Park, or Kennington Common, now enclosed and devoted to perambulators, and none from Cherbourg, where such terrific mechanism of destruction is arrayed against the "enemies of France?" But it is not to the hands of the " rabble " that the rifle is likely to be entrusted. We sincerely hope that we have said enough to turn the attention of our readers to our unarmed condition, and the most efficacious and sensible as well as the oheapest means of remedying this evil. An honourable recognition, atnif!aarLair of colours to each regiment of Volunteers, would go far
belting the Queen of these realms with a living fortifi- cation and breast-work, that would defeat the views of treachery, and render surprise impossible even from half-a-dozen Cherbourgs. Lieutenant Busk's volume will teach much to those who have
not thought on the subject of modern warfare, even should they be not scientifically educated or disposed. In his pages, Messrs. Lancaster' Colt, Wilkinson, Whitworth, Prince, Terry, and Pritchett all receive their ineed, and their various improvements and inventions are fairly discussed. The immense range of Colt's revolvers—a weapon practically neglected by our Government during the late war—is attested by the anther, and we happen to be able to vouch for his accuracy, having been present at the very trial to which he refers, when excellent practice was made at 410 LIT;over muzzle-loader Rifles and allots the palm of superiority . The Manual gives a decided preference to breech- in those to Mr. Prince. There can be no doubt, that the hand of a rifleman must be rendered unsteady by the process of ramming a ball down, and rapidity of fire is much increased by the more modern application. We are glad to observe that due credit is given to the veteran Captain Norton of the 34th Regiment, con- cerning whom the following remarkable statement is made, while writing of percussion shells for rifles. "It can moreover be satis- factorily proved, that upwards of a quarter of a century ago, Cap- tain Norton devised and freely offered to the Government, though unfortunately in vain, almost all the improvements that have recently been brought forward, and some of them adopted as novel inventions." What a censure on red-tape ! It must, how- ever, be owned that Governments have much less excuse for slight- ing or repressing warlike inventions in the present epoch, than might have been urged on their behalf a quarter of a century ago. We are pleased to hear, that the officers of the Hythe School of Musketry have welcomed the Manual, 'written by a Volunteer, in. a spirit of intelligence and courtesy, and we are of opinion with its author, that neither the Line nor the Militia need manifest any jealousy of the establishment of an imposing force of volunteers throughout the country. The question of the "perfect shape" for rifle-balls is one which bee greatly occupied science of late. In the diagram p. 41 of the Manual the best known shape is given. We may observe that it has occurred to us that the conical bullet there depicted dis- plays the exact form of the foremost section of the lines of the famous schooner yacht America. The plate of the Jacob rifle shell p. 42 might indeed represent the whole figure of that vessel, were its base altered to the resemblance of the yacht's stern. Nothing can be more natural than this similitude. It is interest- ing to learn that Mr. Busk's experiments, which he is still pur- suing in the hope of combining the rocket principle with the pro- jectile power derived from the rifle, have led him to adopt some- thing very like the old British cross-bow bolt, which our fore- fathers used so dexterously. Doubtless, thousands of experiments had been tried with the cross-bow to bring it to perfection, be- fore it was relinquished in favour of the first crude clumsy fire- arm, which was probably as inferior to the best weapon used at Waterloo as the last to the model rifles described in pp. 87, '8, '9 of the Manual. There is no good reason why 50,000 British volunteers should not be armed with such a weapon or something nearly approaching its merits ere three months shall have elapsed, without burdening the country with a shilling extra expense. There is none, why the Victoria Rifles should not muster 3000 ha. stead of the prescribed 300 men. No sportsman upwards of fifty years of age ought for the future to demand a Game Certificate in the United Kingdom unless he can show, being neither a naval nor a military man his enrolment in that or a similar corps. In the meantime, we lake it as a good sign, that a bill is announced for the next session of Parliament for the encouragement of volun- teer corps throughout the country.
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