MR. DAMERsaid, he wished to ask the Secretary to the Admiralty, If Captain Coles's Cupola has been tested by firing at it with any heavier guns than those used in the experiments —namely, 40-pounder Armstrong —on board the Trusty; and, if not, whether it is the intention of the Admiralty to make any further experiment before proceeding 1662 with the further construction of vessels on the same system?
§ LORD CLARENCE PAGETreplied, that no experiments had been tried by firing at Captain Coles's Cupola with a 300-pounder shot, or with steel shot. The experiments which had been made against Captain Coles's cupola consisted, first of all, of five rounds from the 40-pounder Armstrong gun, then thirty-four rounds from a 100-pounder, and then four rounds of spherical shot from the 68-pounder, at a distance of 200 yards; and the result was that there were various indentations on the cupola, but the working of the cupola was not disturbed, and it was not at present the intention of the Government to submit the turrets on board the Royal Sovereign, or any other ship, to the test of firing.