THE WORKSHOPS

The first visited were the extensive workshops in which all the various processes of "turning," "fining," "boring," and polishing the guns are gone through, and where, in fact, the rough castings are turned into perfect pieces of ordinance. The different peculiarities of the ponderous blocks of machinery were here fully explained by Col. Wilmott, who conducted the Royal visitors through the departments. All the processes which a gun has to undergo ere it arrives at its last stage were fully exemplified, and the different methods employed to facilitate labour carefully displayed. The King seemed much interested with the operations of the powerful lathes, which were boring 24-pounder guns, and turning them smooth with as much facility as if the pieces had been made of wood.