Tiger Tiger

It was the South Coast Autumn Blipmeet to day at The Royal Armouries, Fort Nelson, Portmouth. I met a wonderfully warm, friendly and interesting bunch of fellow blippers, and a few hangers on.

My late father was an engineer in the Army and held a life-long interest in artillary and the like, and we have visited this museum a few times. He would have approved of the recent investment and redevelopment it has undergone, and as I walked round the more modern artillary displayed I can hear him say "I remember firing that one".

However, it was the older cannon on display that seemed to interest most of us, with many being beautifully decorated - somewhat against their lethal purpose. This Indian bronze gun (24-pounder) particularly took my eye with its depiction of the cat family, my favourite animals.

According to the panel: The tiger (Panthera tigris) respected for its power and magnificence is the national animal of India. There are four tigers' heads and two tigers' stripes on this gun. It was probably cast during the late eighteenth century but never fired because the vent is undrilled. It was captured at Fort Kurnaul, Madras in 1838.

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