18 SHOOTING. 



taking care, in folding the paper tightly round the wood, that the 

 emery suriace is outward. Force it into the barrel by screAving it 

 downwards from the top to the bottom ; and repeat the process 

 till the barrel is as clean and as polished as when it left the maker's 

 hands. No sand or coarse stujS:" of any kmd should be used. 



It is of great moment that every sportsman, when he comes 

 home, or goes into any house whateTcr, shoidd keep a watch- 

 ful eye on his fowling-piece. He ought always to displace the 

 cap, and throw out the priming. But even this does not always 

 secure an immunity from fatal accidents. _A few stray grains of 

 powder may still be productive of an explosion. It is a vrise and 

 considerate plan, when a shooter arrives at a door, to remove the 

 cap, if a percussion gun, or if flint, throw out the pruning, let down 

 the spring of the lock, draw the ramrod, and dropping down the 

 baiTcl, put the gun away into a closet, or othermse suspend it, out 

 of ordinary reach. A man of right feeling cannot be too careful en 

 such occasions. 



CHAPTER n. 



POWDEH AND SHOT. 



It is now requisite we should make a few observations on powder 

 and shot, Avithout wliich the gun, notwithstanding its artful me- 

 chanism, is a dead letter. 



The discovery of gunpowder produced a complete revelation, not 

 only in the art of sporting, but in the_ still more serious and im- 

 portant art of war. The origin of this _ explosive substance has 

 given rise to long discussions, and great diversity of opinion, among 

 philosophers and antiquaries. _ Some have_ given it a very ancient 

 date, while others bring its discovery Vvdthin comparatively recent 

 times. Grose quotes a passage from " Grey's Gunnery," pubhshed 

 in 1731, to the following effect : " In the life of Apollonius Tyanseus, 

 written by Philostratus about 1,500 years ago, there is the* follow- 

 ing passage concerning the people of India, called Oxydracse : 

 'These truly wise men dwelt between the rivers Hypbasis and 

 Ganges. Their country Alexander the Great never entered, de- 

 terred, not by fear of the inhabitants, but, as I suppose, by rehgious 

 considerations ; for, had he passed the Hyphasis, he might doubt- 

 less have made himself master of the country all around them ; 

 but their cities he could never have taken, though he had led a 

 thousand as brave as Achilles, or three thousand such as Ajax, to 

 the assault; for they came not into the field to fight those who at- 

 tack them, but these holy men, beloved by the gods, overthiew 



