Chapter 7 The Hymn of the Cannon-Ball The Observatory of Cambridge in its memorable letter had treated the question from a purely astronomical point of view. The mechanical part still remained. President Barbicane had, without loss of time, nominated a working committee of the Gun Club. The duty of this commit-tee was to resolve the three grand questions of the cannon, the projectile, and the powder. It was composed of four members of great technical knowledge, Barbicane (with a casting vote in case of equality), General Morgan, Major Elphinstone, and J. T. Maston, to whom were confided the functions of