The carriage is provided with holding-down clips, and the recoil is checked by a breeching whose ends are made fast to the brackets, the bight passing around a bollard on the forward transom of the slide. _Mountain-Carriage._ The mountain-carriage is similar to the English field-carriage except the elevating-gear, which consists of a plain elevating-screw to which a hand-wheel and pinion gear. _Mitrailleuse Saddle._ This consists of a pillar whose lower end ships in a socket in the ship’s rail, and whose upper end branches into a fork to support the trunnions. A longitudinal support projects from the pillar, which holds a pivoted arm by means of a clamp. This gives a quick motion for elevating or depressing. The end of the pivoted arm holds an ordinary elevating-screw for slow motion. _Hotchkiss Saddle._ See United States Gun-Carriages. GUNPOWDER. The gunpowder used in the French service is classified according to the size of grain. _Wetteren powder_, named from the place of manufacture in Belgium, is a large-grained cubical powder used in guns of the model 1870. _Ripault powder_, named from its place of manufacture in France, is an ordinary-sized cannon powder used in all guns, except the above. _Hunting powder_ is a small-grained, highly-glazed powder used in revolver cartridges. _B powder_, of a slightly larger grain than the hunting, is used in Chassepot rifle cartridges. _Musket powder_ is used in the manufacture of primers, fuses, and signals. CARTRIDGES. Cartridge-bags are made either of parchment or serge. For the smaller calibres they are of parchment. Each cartridge is marked in black with the calibre of the gun for which it is intended, the weight of charge, monogram of the place where it was filled, and date of filling. Cartridges are kept aboard ship in brass or copper tanks of various forms having water-tight covers. PROJECTILES. The projectiles used in the French Navy are shot, shell and case-shot. There are two kinds of shot, cylindrical and ogivo-cylindrical, corresponding to the shape of the head; the cylindrical being used only in the calibres above 19 cm. They are all steel. The ogivo-cylindrical shot are used in all calibres above 14 cm., and are either of steel or chilled cast-iron. Shell are of cast-iron, and are similar in shape to the ogival shot. [Illustration: Projectiles, Model 1864. Armor-Shot. Shell. Solid Shot.] [Illustration: Projectiles, Model 1870. Armor-Shot. Shell. Solid Shot.]