Великий военный синдикат

           TheAdamantwastheonlyvesselwhichithadbeenpossibletosendoutinsoshortatime,andhercruisewassomewhatofanexperiment.IfsheshouldbesuccessfulinraisingtheblockadeoftheCanadianport,theBritishAdmiraltywouldhavebutlittledifficultyindealingwiththeAmericanSyndicate.Themostimportantobjectwastoprovideadefenceagainstthescrew-extractingandrudder-breakingcrabs;andtothisendtheAdamanthadbeenfittedwithwhatwastermeda"stern-jacket."Thiswasagreatcageofheavysteelbars,whichwasattachedtothesternofthevesselinsuchawaythatitcouldberaisedhighabovethewater,soastooffernoimpedimentwhileunderway,andwhich,intimeofaction,couldbeletdownsoastosurroundandprotecttherudderandscrew-propellers,ofwhichtheAdamanthadtwo.ThiswasconsideredanadequatedefenceagainstthenippersofaSyndicatecrab;butasameansofoffenceagainstthesealmostsubmergedvesselsanovelcontrivancehadbeenadopted.Fromagreatboomprojectingoverthestern,alargeship’scannonwassuspendedperpendicularly,muzzledownward.Thisguncouldbeswungaroundtothedeck,hoistedintoahorizontalposition,loadedwithaheavycharge,awoodenplugkeepingtheloadinpositionwhenthegunhungperpendicularly.Ifthecrabshouldcomeunderthestern,thiscannoncouldbefireddirectlydownwarduponherback,anditwasnotbelievedthatanyvesselofthekindcouldstandmanysuchtremendousshocks.