But when, later on, Barbicane substituted simple howitzers of 600 lbs.

for conical shots, the captain was obliged to go down in his own estimation.

It fact, these projectiles, though of mediocre velocity, drilled with holes and broke to pieces armour-plate of the best metal.
Things had reached this point and victory seemed to rest with the projectile, when the war ended the very day that Nicholl terminated a new forged armour-plate.

It was a masterpiece of its kind.

It defied all the projectiles in the world.