Royal Military Academy, Dec. 17, 1868.
In the Atheneum of the 28th ult., Mr. Henry Kingsley asks my "opinion as to the date of the invention of gunpowder in China." As L have no knowledge of Oriental languages, and no sources of information other than those open to the public, my opinion is only formed from European writings of which I have colliated such as I could find bearing on the subject; and I incline to the belief that " gunpowder," in its true sense. was not invented in China at all. The question appears to have been needlessly complicated through the frequent misapprehension of what is meant by the term ' gunpowder." Allowing the utmost latitude of definition, I think we have no right to call by that name any substance, unless it was used to propel by its explosive force projectiles of some kind from guns of some kind. If that proposition is admitted, we get rid
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