I98 ON THE WING. 



shot with as much power as longer ones that have the 

 atmospheric pressure to meet, with the extra friction 

 of the charge along the barrel, in its passage out. 



I am also of the opinion that a small-bored gun with 

 a medium charge of gunpowder, and a quantity of shot 

 suited to it, will throw its shot to a greater distance 

 than a larger bored gun with the same quantity of pow- 

 der; and for this reason, that the powder in the smaller- 

 bored gun lies higher up in the barrel, and consequent- 

 ly consumes more time in the burning. This conclu- 

 sion favors, to some extent, the small-bored gun 

 against the larger bore ; but this favor, if allowed, 

 can be carried only to a certain extent, as the tremen- 

 dous recoil in the small-bored gun would prevent its 

 use with a large increase in the quantity of powder. 



