a general name for all sorts of great guns used in war. See Gunnery.

Boring of Ordnance. Till within these 20 years, iron ordnance were cast with a cylindrical cavity, nearly of the dimension of the caliber of the piece, which was afterwards enlarged to the proper caliber by means of steel cutters fixed into the dog-head of a boring-bar-iron. Three side cutters equidistant were requisite to preserve the caliber straight and cylindrical; and a single cutter was used at the end of the bar to smooth the breech of the piece. In boring ordnance cast hollow, the piece was fixed upon a carriage that could be moved backwards and forwards in a direct line with the centre of a water-wheel; in this centre was fixed the boring-bar, of a sufficient length to reach up to the breech of the piece, or more properly to the further end of the caliber. The carriage with the piece being drawn backwards from the centre of the water-wheel to introduce the boring and finishing bars and cutters, it is then pressed forwards upon this bar by means of levers, weights, &c. and the water wheel being set a-going, the bar and cutters are turned round, and clean out and smooth the caliber to its proper dimensions.

Experience at last pointed out many inconveniences arising from the method of casting guns hollow, and widening the calibers by these boring bars. For the body of iron of the hollow-gun, being, at casting, in contact with the core that made the caliber within-side, and with the mould without-side, began to consolidate towards these sides in the first place, sooner than in the intermediate space, where of course the contraction of the iron takes place; by which means, all guns cast hollow become more or less spongy where they ought to have been most compact; and numberless cavities also were created round the cores, from stagnated air generated in them, which were too deep to be cut out by the boring.

To remedy these defects, iron ordnance is now universally cast solid, by which means the column of iron is greatly enlarged, and the grain more compressed; and the contraction of the iron becomes in the heart of the column, and consequently is cut out by the perforation for the caliber.

Guns are bored out of the solid reversely from the hollow method. The piece A is placed upon two standards BB, by means of two journeys, turned round by the water-wheel C, the breech D being introduced into the centre of the wheel, with the muzzle towards the sliding carriage E, which is pressed forwards by a ratch F, and weights, in the same way as the gun-carriage was in the hollow-boring. Upon this sliding carriage is fixed, truly horizontal and centrical to the gun, the drill bar G, to the end of which is fixed a carpenter's tongue drill or cutter H; which, being pressed forward upon the piece whilst it is turning round, perforates the bore, which is afterwards finished with borers and cutters as the hollow guns were. The principal difficulty of perforating solid guns truly centrical, arises from the contraction of the iron above mentioned; which, resisting the drill unequally, tends to throw it out of the centrical line.

Office of Ordnance, an office kept within the Tower of London, which superintends and disposes of all the arms, instruments, and utensils of war, both by sea and land, in all the magazines, garrisons, and forts, in Great Britain. We have the following copious account of this establishment in Beatson's Political Index.

In ancient times, before the invention of guns, this office was supplied by officers under the following names: the bouyer, the cross bouyer, the galeator or purveyor of helmets, the armourer, and the keeper of the tents; and in this state it continued till Henry VIII. placed it under the management of a master, a lieutenant, surveyor, &c. &c.

Some improvements have been since made; and this very important branch is now under the direction of the master general of the ordnance, having under him a lieutenant general, a surveyor general, a clerk, a storekeeper, a clerk of the deliveries, and a treasurer, with a very great number of inferior officers, employed in Ordnance in the Tower of London, at Woolwich, and in almost all the forts, garrisons, and principal ports in his majesty's dominions. The office of ordnance is divided into two distinct branches, the civil and the military; the latter being subordinate, and under the authority of the former. For the better understanding the business of the different officers, they shall be distinctly treated of, beginning with the principal one, viz.

Master General of the Ordnance is deemed the principal officer in the civil branch of the ordnance; yet he is always chosen from amongst the first generals in his majesty's service. His trust is very great, as in him is vested the sole power of storing all the military magazines in the king's dominions with proper munitions of war, and likewise to supply the royal navy with what they may need in his department, the parliament granting money in the most liberal manner for this purpose. He is colonel in chief of the royal regiment of artillery, at present consisting of four battalions; and he is invested with a peculiar jurisdiction over all his majesty's engineers employed in the several fortifications in his majesty's dominions; and to him they are all accountable for their proceedings, and from him they receive their particular orders and instructions, according to the directions and commands given by his majesty in council. As master general of the ordnance he has the appointment of almost all the inferior officers and servants. He has a secretary, and an under-secretary; and besides there is a secretary and a counsel to the board of ordnance.

Lieutenant General of the Ordnance receives all orders and warrants signed by the master-general, and from the other principal officers, and sees them duly executed, issues orders as the occasions of the state require, and gives directions for discharging the artillery when required at coronations, birth days, signal victories, and other solemn occasions. It is also his peculiar office to see the train of artillery, and all its equipage, fitted for motion, when ordered to be drawn into the field, or sent upon any particular service. He is colonel en second of the royal regiment of artillery, and has a secretary and several inferior officers and clerks under him.

Surveyor General of the Ordnance inspects the stores and provisions of war in the custody of the storekeeper, and sees that they are ranged and placed in such order as is most proper for their preservation. He allows all bills of debt, and keeps a check upon all labourers and artificers work; sees that the stores received be good and serviceable, duly proved and marked, as they ought to be, with the king's mark, taking to his assistance the rest of the officers and proof-masters. To assist him in the business of his office, he has under him the proof-master of England, and clerks, and other inferiors officers.

Clerk of the Ordnance, an officer whose function is to record all orders and instructions given for the government of the office; all patents and grants; the names of all officers, clerks, artificers, gunners, labourers, &c., who enjoy those grants, or any other fee for the same; to draw all estimates for provisions and supplies to be made, and all letters, instructions, commissions, deputations, and contracts for his majesty's service; to make all bills of imprest and debentures, for the payment and satisfaction of work done and provisions received in the said office; and all quarter books for the salaries and allowances of all officers, clerks, &c., belonging to the office; and to keep journals and ledgers of the receipts and returns of his majesty's stores, to serve as a check between the two accountants of the office, the one for Ordo-voices, money, and the other for stores.

Storekeeper of the Ordnance takes into his custody all his majesty's ordnance, munitions and stores belonging thereto, and indents and puts them in legal security, after they have been surveyed by the surveyor-general, any part of which he must not deliver without a warrant signed by the proper officers; nor must he receive back any stores formerly issued till they have been reviewed by the surveyor, and registered by the clerk of the ordnance in the book of remains; and he must take care that whatever is under his custody be kept safe, and in such readiness as to be fit for service upon the most peremptory demand.

Clerk of the Deliveries of the Ordnance draws all orders for delivery of any stores, and sees them duly executed; charges by indenture the particular receiver of the stores delivered; and, in order to discharge the store-keeper, registers the copies of all warrants for the deliveries, as well as the proportions delivered.

Treasurer and Paymaster of the Ordnance receives and pays all moneys, both salaries and debentures in and belonging to this office. In his office are several clerks, ordinary and extraordinary, for the dispatch of business.

Office of Ordnance. Besides the principal officers already mentioned, there belong to this office two proof-masters; a clerk of the works; a purveyor for the land, and a purveyor for the sea; an architect; an astronomical observer; and other officers. The other part of this office, which is termed the military branch of the ordnance, is a chief engineer, who has under him two directors, four sub-directors, with an unlimited number of engineers in ordinary, engineers extraordinary, sub-engineers, and practitioner engineers.

Ordnance Bills, commonly called ordnance debentures, are bills issued by the board of ordnance on the treasurer of that office, for the payment of stores, &c. These are not payable at any certain time, and do not bear any interest, so that the discount upon them is often very high; but they are seldom much above two years in arrears.