MUZZLE-LOADERS AND BREECH-LOADERS. 63 
thousand, unloaded but capped ; or they may be pur- 
chased at a proportionally higher price loaded, 
ready for instant use, as they can be transported 
even across the ocean without material risk. The 
brown-paper cartridges of Chaudun are also good, 
but not quite so fine an article as Eley’s; they may 
be reloaded, however, several times. In carrying 
the loaded cartridges, it is natural to suppose that 
there would be danger of their exploding in conse- 
quence of a sudden jar, and they are generally pack- 
ed in sawdust to avoid this risk, but experience has 
proved that the danger is slight ; generally speaking, 
they cannot be so discharged, and there is but one 
case reported where it happened; in this instance, a 
railway porterin England let fall a large box of them, 
when a single cartridge exploded, without doing any 
damage or discharging the others. 
There are, properly speaking, no gun-makers in 
America; a few workmen import English locks, 
stocks, and barrels, and fitting them together, stamp 
them with their names; but I know of no establish- 
ment where the smallest portion even of the fowling- 
piece is manufactured. It is a matter of great difii- 
culty to get any good work done, and the simplest 
repairs are generally bungled in our best shops in a 
way to disgrace the trade and disgust the owner; 
as for having a gun made, we have not advanced 
the first step towards it, not even having a compul- 
sory proof-stamp. ; 
It is hardly necessary to add that breech-loaders 
must be imported. They and their equipment are 
