ʌntˈɪl ðə mˈɪdəl ʌvðə nˈaɪntiːnθ sˈɛntʃɚɹi ɹˈɔɪəl nˈeɪvi wˈɔːɹʃɪps hɐdbɪn ˈɑːɹmd wɪð pɹəɡɹˈɛsɪvli lˈɑːɹdʒɚ smˈuːðboːɹ mˈʌzəllˈoʊdɪŋ kˈænən.
Until the middle of the 19th century Royal Navy warships had been armed with progressively larger smoothbore muzzle-loading cannon.