76 DETONATING SYSTEM. 



stronger than a flint. This, I have no doubt, is 

 because it does not allow them time to flinch, and 

 therefore they fire the body of the charge so much 

 more accurately with a detonater, that they kill 

 cleaner and at greater distances. 



The safest way to load a detonater is to put the 

 caps on last, taking care to leave down the cocks ; or 

 the powder, unless of large grain, would, on ramming 

 the wadding, be forced through the hole in the nipple. 

 If you put away your gun loaded, always take off the 

 caps, not only for safety, but because the locks must 

 either be left straining at half cock, or if let down 

 and suffered to remain all night, the odds are that the 

 powder would be jammed into a sort of damp paste, 

 and both barrels would miss fire. But if you take fresh 

 caps, and prick both the vent-holes, and the nipple- 

 holes, your gun will generally fire with its usual rapidity. 



Detonating powder I have found very liable to miss 

 fire after being long in contact with any salt or damp, 

 such as a strong pressure on the elastic fluid of gun- 

 powder ; being all night in a punt in the sea air ; 

 the spray that comes over a boat in sailing, &c. 



In a word, although detonating powder may be 

 put in water ) and then fired off, yet it frequently 

 misses fire after being long in the damp, and par- 

 ticularly when shooting on salt water. I am inclined 

 to account for it by the following comparison : 

 Take a piece of biscuit, or (what would answer the 

 proof much better) crisp gingerbread ; dip it in water 

 for a short time, arid it will nevertheless remain hard 



