MODERN FARRIER. 569 



made thorouglily dry, and afterwards be rubbed, 

 both inside and out, with only tow or flannel. The 

 breech need seldom be taken out if the gun be pro- 

 perly treated. 



The best oil for the barrel, as well as the lock, is 

 that which is obtained from sheeps' feet ; but neat's 

 foot oil will answer the purpose, or that which is 

 procured from the fat of horses : whichever is used 

 should be first clarified, for which the following is 

 the best method : — 



Put several small pieces of lead, or a few shot, 

 into the bottle containing the oil, and let it remain 

 uncorked. ' The feculent matter 4vill adhere to the 

 lead, and leave the oil extremely clear. If the oil 

 be thick, it should be exposed to the sun, or kept 

 in a warm situation, while it undergoes the opera- 

 tion of being clarified. 



Gunpowder. 



Experience proves, that powder by the same 

 maker is not always of equal efficacy, our sui*prise 

 must cease when we find a difference in that which 

 we have from different makers. The difference in 

 that by the same maker, is generally caused by an 

 original deficiency in the constituting properties of 

 one or more of the ingredients ; the other receiving 

 therefrom an overdue and preponderating influence. 

 To be always sure of good powder, it should be had 

 ipso facto from the maker himself immediately after 

 trial, and precisely from this time should it be kept 

 in vessels which admit neither air nor exudation. 

 Dampness to any degree will, in the respective par- 

 ticles, cause a tendency to dissolution. For this 

 reason it should be kept constantly in well-dried 

 glass bottles, closely corked ; nor can powder, once 

 having imbibed dampness approaching to wet, ever 

 be so recovered as to be uniformly powerful. To 

 the respective loads, according to the partiality of 



4 c 



