In the Azores. 371 



had to send it to England to be replaced ; then Mr. 

 Edwards very kindly got me the loan of a muzzle- 

 loader. 1 It must have been fifty years old, for the 

 nipples and locks were not reliable, but better barrels, 

 though no doubt they were fearfully honeycombed, 

 never existed, and in a day or two I got to shoot 

 with it very well indeed. I then heard that a shop- 

 keeper in the town had some breech loaders for sale. 

 I visited him. The price asked was 5 each. They 

 were of Belgian make, not bad, had top snap lever, 

 locks back action, which worked easily. I picked out 

 one, tried it, and purchased it. It was a handy 

 weapon, and it was cheap at the price. I got so used 

 to it, that when my own gun came back, I oftener 

 used this Liege weapon than my 4 2 -guinea one. I 

 then wrote to the firm at Liege, I may as well 

 mention them, for they make guns and rifles at 

 ridiculously low prices Laloux and Dresse. The 

 highest price for their hammerless, best quality gun, 

 with any action, is but seven guineas ; and the original 

 price of the gun I had bought in Fayal I found was in 

 Liege 1 6s. kd. They sell only wholesale now, but a 

 few years ago, they would supply any one retail at 

 wholesale prices. Anything connected with the gun 

 trade is exceedingly cheap in Liege. As an instance, 

 I may say that, wanting an extra pair of barrels to a 

 No. 16 bore, I found I could only have them fitted 

 for from ten to fifteen guineas in England, yet I got 

 Damascus twist barrels made in Belgium for sixty 

 francs, about 2 8s. Qd., and it is well known that 

 very many of the barrels used by slop-shop makers 

 in England come from abroad. 



1 By Reilly. 



B B 2 



