HOW GUN-BARBELS ARE MADE. 2OQ 



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 sei'en 

 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- 



N 



