The superiority of the British methods alluded to by the famous French gun-maker were not lost upon French naval architects, and in some of the latest French battleships these methods have been copied. The rapidity of the fire of the big guns would thus, it was expected, be raised to two rounds a minute. Electricity, however, has been retained, as the French consider it to be better than hydraulic machinery for the loading of the guns and movement of the turrets, and more easy of repair in case of damage under hostile fire. The size and weight of the pieces forming the breech mechanism of the modern guns of large calibre made compulsory the adoption of mechanical means for loading them. There was also the further advantage that machinery was less likely to make mistakes, or to suffer from the accidents which are bound to disable some of the crew in a naval engagement. In some of the earlier battleships, in which the large muzzle-loading guns were fitted, the charge was raised to the gun-mouth by machinery worked by hand-power, and after it had been rammed home by the crew the projectile was inserted and rammed home also, obviously an impossible arrangement when it was sought to introduce rifled explosive shells. When guns were made too large to be withdrawn into the turrets to be loaded, they were loaded by being depressed so that their muzzles just entered a specially cut orifice in the deck in front of the turret, and the loading crew were able to do their work in safety. The drawback to this system was that the gun had to be brought back to the same position for loading, then revolved with its turret once more to the direction in which it was to be discharged, and aimed afresh before its missile could be sent at its mark. The chief advantage of this system was that the gun required a smaller, and consequently less weighty, turret for the protection of its crew. The introduction of the breech-loader enabled the guns to be loaded in greater security, with greater speed, and without interfering with the aim or training of the gun, thereby rendering a more rapid fire possible. Ammunition hoists brought the charge and projectiles right into the turret or barbette more expeditiously and with greater precision than the best-drilled crew, and the men had simply to load the weapon and fire it. The human element came in here, however, in all its uncertainty, and, in spite of the greatest possible care, accidents occurred. A charge or a shell was dropped or caused to explode in some way, and disastrous were the results. Again the necessity for the mechanical appliances caused them to be forthcoming. The projectiles and charges for fighting purposes, which naval strategists declared to be necessary in ever-increasing size and weight, and the greater rapidity of fire which was demanded, made it impossible for dependence on hand power to be retained. After various experiments, both steam