ZTbc 1Rex>. William JBarfcer Daniel 125 



wilder and more difficult to hit, and that the modern 

 pigeon-shot is far superior to his predecessors. But 

 even he, I think, will be a little staggered by the 

 following remarkable exploits chronicled by Parson 

 Daniel : 



"In pigeon shooting, the most wonderful performance 

 was by Mr. Richard Toomer (the person before men- 

 tioned as having broke a sow to stand game), who for 

 a considerable wager shot six pigeons out of ten with 

 a single ball. 



Of this extraordinary man's, and his brother 

 Edward's excellence in shooting, the following facts 

 are most decisive evidence : They have been known 

 to shoot at pigeons from the trap with their rifles and 

 a single ball, and to kill eight birds out of twelve, 

 shooting alternately, and one of the pigeons that did 

 not drop had its leg carried off by the ball. They 

 have likewise with a single shot struck twice out of 

 four shots, a cricket-ball thrown into the air ; and 

 Mr. R. Toomer, near Hartford Bridge, with his gun 

 loaded with shot, hit the ball twelve times between 

 the wickets, when bowled by Harris, one of the sharpest 

 bowlers in England. This he himself considered a very 

 good performance. So thoroughly was shooting both 

 with gun and pistols reduced to a science by the two 

 brothers, that numbers of gentlemen became their pupils, 

 and received instruction from them : nor was their 

 knowledge confined merely to the use and effect of 

 the gun ; in hunting and fishing they were equally 

 well experienced. To Mr. R. Toomer's activity and 

 resolution in securing some of the most desperate 



