HOW GUN-BARRELS ARE MADE. 209 



inferior gunnery has certainly reached a depth of infe- 

 riority which never any other manufacture in the world 

 reached, and I hope never will. 



" During the existence of the slave-trade, many 

 thousand guns per year were made of what is, by the 

 trade, technically termed park paling, a material only 

 fit for such purposes ; and the cost of it was only seven 

 shillings and sixpence each spike ; but now we can fur- 

 nish slave-traders with ship-loads, if they choose, at 

 only six shillings and sixpence each, and it is still sup- 

 posed that one of these imitation guns is the blood- 

 money for a fellow-creature. It would be a just and 

 equitable law, if our legislature would pass it, ' that 

 every man should fire the guns he manufactures ' : 

 nothing would more surely tend to improve the quality 

 of guns of a low grade. 



" A considerable increasing difficulty attends the 

 obtaining of horse-nail studs from the continent. In 

 various continental markets from whence we draw our 

 supply, the skill and ability of the gun-barrel makers 

 have increased ; and the preference for superior fire- 

 arms which is gaining ground with many continental 

 sportsmen, has taught foreigners the value of their old 

 horse-nails ; and hence their increased scarcity. The 

 inferior iron of which we make horse-nails prevents 

 entirely the use of our own ; consequently it requires 

 no foresight to predict that our manufacturers will 

 soon resolve themselves into two descriptions, — the 

 very best and the very worst. The latter are already 

 actively employed, and the others are advancing ; as 

 no doubt an increasing desire to obtain the most per- 



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