416 SHARP'S BREECH-LOADING CARBINE. 



of windows, all more or less affecting those who do not 

 sit in the position supposed to command them, there must 

 be quarrels. In my instance, however, a man from the 

 opposite side sought the difficulty the error is in not 

 permitting gentlemen willing to pay to travel in 

 civilized society. 



At a little after ten at night, a fly set me down at that 

 perfection of an American hotel, to which I advise all 

 travellers to repair, the Clarendon ; and there I found my 

 friend and fellow-voyager, Mr Brown, waiting to accom 

 pany me back to England. I also found that Mr Palmer, 

 the president of Sharp's Rifle Manufactory, had, with a 

 very handsome letter, presented to my acceptance the 

 newly-improved rifle carbine. This carbine is not only 

 a breech-loader, but, if still more haste is required, on 

 turning one or two (rather too intricate) bolts or springs, 

 it contains caps, and will prime itself. My opinion of 

 this part of the invention is, that the motions to make it 

 a self-primer or capper are far too minute and difficult to 

 be of any use on service, and utterly beyond the large 

 thumb of a trooper, particularly when anxiously under 

 fire. Two other faults it has ; and the first of these is 

 that the trigger pulls too hard, the second that there is 

 not sufficient room between the trigger-guard and trigger 

 for the first finger to lay all its stress on quite the end of 

 the trigger. Other than this, it delivers its ball hard and 

 true ; and I would call Mr Sharp's attention to a remedy 

 for these errors. 



-At New York my dogs and servant had safely arrived, 

 and with their larger boxes or kennels had taken up their 

 berth on board the " Asia," commanded by Capt. Lott, 

 where, on the 23rd of November, at 2 p.m., I went on 

 board, and shortly after bidding adieu to New York, where 



