60 DETONATING SYSTEM. 



that long barrels, which are opened behind, and nip 

 the charge, in the cylinder, till more of the powder 

 is burnt, do more justice to the percussion system 

 than the others. I had ample proof of this by an 

 experiment with a musket of three feet six inches, 

 and a double gun of two feet eight inches. The 

 musket, when made into a detonater, shot very near, 

 if not quite, as well as when a flint-gun ; but the 

 double gun did not shoot so well, afterwards, by at 

 least one-fourth ! which evidently shows that quick- 

 ness and strength are not always combined. For 

 instance : load one gun with large-grained powder, 

 and another with very fine canister powder. We 

 are quite sure that the latter will fire the quickest; 

 but I would back the other to fire the strongest if of 

 equally good quality, because the larger powder has 

 the more projectile force. Again, fire a small detonater 

 and a swivel-gun, ay, a twelve-pounder if you please, 

 at a mark only thirty yards off, and see if the little 

 gun does not shoot up to that distance as quick as, 

 or quicker than, the others! And yet would it not 

 be ridiculous to compare them for strength ? 



Mr. D. Egg made to me a droll, though a good 

 comparison, on the ignition of detonating guns : he 

 said, " If I were to kick a fellow out of my shop, 

 would he go off so strong on his legs as if I allowed 

 him to walk out ?" 



I am not fond of quoting, but nevertheless I must 

 copy a few lines on the percussion principle by Ezekiel 

 Baker, one of the very few master gunmakers in 



