DETONATING SYSTEM. 61 



London who understand barrels. I never saw Mr. 

 Baker, though I have read a few extracts from his 

 work, which prove that he has the ability to discover, 

 and the honesty to publish the real state of the case. 

 He says, " By the detonating, or percussion principle, 

 the whole of* the powder is fired instantaneously, 

 but the very quickness with which the powder is 

 burned, in my opinion, lessens its general effect, and 

 I am satisfied more execution will be done at an equal 

 distance with the charge from the common flint. 

 Indeed, I have proved this by many experiments from 

 the same barrel. In rain, or snow, the percussion 

 lock will act, from its detonating power, more correctly 

 than the common flint-lock ; and this, by sportsmen, 

 is considered its greatest, and, I must confess, it ap- 

 pears to me, its only advantage/' This, and I 

 should add (as I observed in 1822) the " wonderful 

 accuracy it gives in so readily obeying the eye :" and 

 (as I observed in 1824) " having scarcely any flash 

 from the lock of the first barrel to intercept the sight 

 of the second." 



Another observation should be made : A well- 

 known gunmaker (not Joe Manton), in presence of 

 a well-known sportsman, offered to bet me fifty 

 guineas that a detonater of equal size, &c. would beat 



* " The whole of!" These are the only three words that I 

 have the least doubt of throughout Mr. Baker's observation : as 

 this question, I conceive, depends on what quantity of powder 

 you put into the gun. 



