cannon

An artillery piece, which, unlike the howitzer and mortar, is aimed directly at a target; in other words, its trajectory remains flat.

In Johann Conrad Fischer’s day, cannons were distinguished by their caliber dimensions. Common British calibers were:

• Three-pounder: ball weight 1.4 kg, diameter gun barrel 7.6 cm
• Six-pounder: ball weight 2.7 kg, diameter of gun barrel 9.6 cm
• Twelve-pounder: ball weight 5.4 kg, diameter of gun barrel 12.1 cm
• Twenty-four-pounder: ball weight 10.9 kg, gun barrel diameter 15.2 cm
• Thirty-two-pounder: ball weight 14.5 kg, diameter of gun barrel 16.7 cm

Cite as: cannon. In: Travel Reports of a Pioneer: Digital Edition of the Travel Journals of Johann Conrad Fischer 1794–1851. Published by Franziska Eggimann. Edited by Franziska Eggimann, Nicolau Lutz, Valerija Rukavina und Christopher Zoller-Blundell. Schlatt 2023, Version 1.2, https://johannconradfischer.com/en/keywords/gfa-keywords-8717, viewed on 7 June 2025.