290 On Shot Cartridges. 
of tin, open at the outer end :—not one of the whole went in a 
lump, but the spreading of most of those in the paper-cases 
was irregular, and that in the tin-cases very much so: several 
of them were deflected from the line of collimation so much as 
to be useless. 
From these as well as a variety of other experiments, I was 
induced to adopt blue cartridge, white cartridge, and brown 
paper. I have continued this practice now twenty-eight years, 
and know of but three instances of the whole charge going in a 
lump. I have now by me some cartridges upwards of twenty 
years old. When thin paper is used, the cartridge soon becomes 
so deformed and enlarged in the middle, as to stick fast in ram- 
ming down. Powder and shot cartridges are made similar to 
those of shot only, the cases being longer. The shot is put in 
first, then a wad of paper, and then the powder; the end of the 
cartridge is finally closed over the powder (by the head of the 
former), which is easily and expeditiously opened when used, the 
paper being too stout to be bitten off. 
I have found those cartridges extremely useful, having with these, 
as well as with shot cartridges, frequently loaded and fired with 
effect without drawing the ram-rod. ‘The only objection | know to 
powder and shot cartridges is, that if not used in a short period 
of time, say a week or two, or if taken on the water and exposed 
in a magazine on the deck (which for ready access has usually 
been the case with myself and friends), the powder becomes ma- 
terially injured. 
Having gone so far, I shall give a sketch of the former, and 
shape of the paper, &c. with the mode of making and filling; 
which however is perhaps hardly worth insertion, as it differs not 
materially from the former, &c. described by your Correspondent. 
The paper being folded into ten or twelve thicknesses, and long 
enough for two, four, or six cartridges, as AB fig. 1, a tin or 
wood pattern abcd is applied, and with a knife the paper is 
cut through ; the corners ee are cut off, being objectionable in 
the formation of the cartridge; the paper must be sufficiently 
large, that, when rolled on the former, the top al shall reach once 
and half, and the bottom cd twice round. The former is about 
6 inches long, having a head about 13 inch diameter, as repre- 
sented in fig. 2. In rolling the cartridge, the former must fall 
short of the bottom about 2-3rds of the diameter, to allow for. 
closing. When the cartridges are dry, they are again forced on 
the former, and their bottoms again pressed on the closing nail 
driven in the rolling-board for that purpose. The cases are 
now placed in a block of wood having two or three dozen holes 
like a cartridge-box, and with a funnel and measurer filled very 
expeditiously, the upper ends are closed and hammered in with 
the 
