A mortar firing 'partridges', showing the barrel in cross-section. A large bomb was placed in the centre chamber and a number of smaller ones like hand grenades in the surrounding chambers. When fired, the projectiles were hurled towards the target like a covey of partridge. Stipple engraving from 'Encyclopaedia Londinensis' Vol II (London, c1800).

---

A mortar firing 'partridges', showing the barrel in cross-section. A large bomb was placed in the centre chamber and a number of smaller ones like hand grenades in the surrounding chambers. When fired, the projectiles were hurled towards the target like a covey of partridge. Stipple engraving from 'Encyclopaedia Londinensis' Vol II (London, c1800).

---

Size: 6000px × 4538px
Location:
Photo credit: © World History Archive / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: ., archival, archive, armaments, artillery, barrel, bomb, centre, chamber, chambers., covey, cross-section, cross-section., encyclopaedia, engraving, fired, firing, grenades, hand, historical, history, hurled, ii, large, londinensis, mortar, number, partridge., partridges, projectiles, showing, smaller, stipple, surrounding, target, vol, war