40 SHOOTING IN CHINA 



but still none of them will make a detonator, 

 of equal weight, shoot quite so strong and 

 regular as a flint gun. Though, like the 

 rest of the sporting world, I have long been 

 kidnapped into the constant use of 

 detonators, still, were my time to come over 

 again I might probably be content with the 

 flint." Notwithstanding Col. Hawker yields 

 in favor of the detonator he tenaciously 

 adheres to the opinion that the flint gun is 

 his choice for heavy wild fowl shooting, 

 lie arrives at this conclusion, and says: 

 " from the results of very many experiments 

 I am of the opinion, that for neat shooting 

 in the field, or covert, and also for killing 

 single shots at wild fowl rapidly flying, 

 and particularly by night, there is not 

 a question in favor of the detonator, as 

 its trifling inferiority to the flint is ten 

 fold repaid by the wonderful accuracy it 

 gives in so readily obeying the eye. But 

 in firing a heavy charge among a large 

 flock of birds, the flint has the decided 

 advantage. Moreover, the sudden and ad- 

 ditional recoil of a detonator, with the full 

 charge of a duck gun is apt, if the shooter 

 be not careful, to strike the hand back and 

 give him a severe blow on the nose." As 



