A MITRAILLEUSE EXPERIMENT

New Zealand Mail, Issue 13, 22 April 1871, Page 4

A MITRAILLEUSE EXPERIMENT

There is some idea of forming mitrailleuse camel batteries in India. The gun is to be mounted on and fired from the camel's back, the latter kneeling down at the word "action." At present this idea is not even in ah. experimental stage : but in all probability such trials will be made : —This reminds the " Globe" of an amusing story con-nected-with the Ordnance Select Committee. It was at one time proposed to fire mountain guns off the backs of mules that carried them. It was urged that this would obviate the necessity of dismounting the gun from the mule's back and mounting it on its own carriage ; a mountain battery could thus come into action in far less time. This proposal was was warmly taken up by the committee, who forthwith proceeeded to test its feasibility. A mule or donkey was procured, and a small gun strapped firmly to a cradle resting on the packsaddle, so that the muzzle of the weapon pointed over the donkey's tail. The animal, so the story goes, was then led into the marshes at Woolwich, accompanied by the committee and " big wigs," who were attracted by such a novel experiment. On arriving vat the butt the gun was loaded, the donkey turned with his tail towards the earthen mound, and the usual preparations were made for firing by means of a lanyard and friction tube. Hereupon, however, one of the committee remarked that this mode of firing might possibly derange the aim by the jerk on pulling the lanyard. A discussion followed, and it was finelly arranged to fire the gun by a piece of slow match tied to the vent. This was accordingly done, and the match duly ignited. Hitherto the donkey had taken a sleepy interest in the proceedings, but somehow the fizzing of the match on bis- back caused him first to prick up his ears, then to •lay them back, and finally to begin to 'turn round. The committee was thunderstruck, and " skedaddled" in all di-

rections; the secretary threw himself flat on his face. There was a moment of agonising suspense, then—bang— the shot went ricochetting away in one direction, while the wretched donkey turned a complete somersault in the other.