roying construction and personnel.

_Howitzers could:_ Move more easily in the field than mortars; reach
targets behind obstructions by high angle fire; shoot larger
projectiles than could field guns of similar weight.]

It was most important for the artillerist to understand the different
classes of guns. As Collado quaintly phrased it, "he who ignores the
present lecture on this _arte_ will, I assert, never do a good thing."
Cannon burst in the batteries every day because gunners were ignorant
of how the gun was made and what it was meant to do. Nor was such
ignorance confined to gunners alone. The will and whim of the prince
who ordered the ordnance or "the simple opinion of the unexpert
founder himself," were the guiding principles in gun founding. "I am
forced," wrote Collado, "to persuade the princes and advise the
founders that the making of artillery should always take into account
the purpose each piece must serve." This persuasion he undertook in
considerable detail.

[Illustration: Figure 23--SIXTEENTH CENTURY SPANISH ARTILLERY. Taken
from a 1592 manuscript, these drawings illustrate the three main
classes of artillery used by Spain during the early colonial period in
the New World, a--Culverin (Class 1). b--Cannon (Class 2). c--Pedrero
(Class 3). d--Mortar (Class 3).]

The first class of guns were the long-range pieces, comparatively
"rich" in metal. In the following table from Collado, the calibers and
ranges for most Spanish guns of this class are given, although as the
second column shows, at this period calibers were standardized only in
a general way. For translation where possible, and to list those
which became the most popular calibers, we have added a final column.
Most of the guns were probably of culverin length: 30- to 32-caliber.

_Sixteenth century Spanish cannon of the first class_

Name of Weight of Length Range in yards Popular
gun ball of gun Point- Maximum caliber
(pounds) (in calibers) blank

Esmeril 1/2 208 750 1/2-pounder
esmeril.
Falconete 1 to 2 1-pounder
falconet.
Falcon 3 to 4 417 2,500 3-pounder
falcon.
Pasavolante 1 to