tRex>. William JBarfeer Daniel 127 



and the spring so tempered that the main-spring and 

 that of the hammer acted in concert, and that the fire 

 was emitted freely, and the explosion of course be 

 instantaneous at the stroke of the flint. In improving 

 gunpowder as to its quickness in firing, Mr. Toomer, 

 after visiting different powder-mills, and trying ex- 

 periments in various parts of the process whilst making, 

 had completely succeeded ; the secret now remains in 

 the family, and a considerable advantage is made of 

 the sale of the powder so prepared ; but it was not 

 firearms exclusively that Mr. T. was so expertly versed 

 in ; the air-gun had from him received many improve- 

 ments ; he has killed fifty brace of bucks in one season 

 with his air-gun, and was busied in adding to its further 

 utility at the time when he died, which was at the 

 early age of thirty-seven years, extremely lamented by 

 all who knew him. 



A singular proof of skill in pigeon-shooting was 

 effected by Mr. Elliott, at Rudgwick in Sussex, who 

 undertook to kill fifty pigeons at fifty shots ; it was 

 decided at Tillington near Petworth, and, notwith- 

 standing the wind was high, he killed forty-five : it 

 was allowed he hit every bird, and that he would have 

 succeeded but for the above circumstance. He had 

 but one gun, the touch-hole of which fairly melted." 



Scarcely less remarkable are two instances which 

 Daniel gives of the performances of a couple of crack 

 game-shots, both of which feats he witnessed. A 

 Mr. Jenkins, of Petworth, killed twenty brace of birds 

 in forty shots, and in four days' shooting never missed 

 once. Cottingham, Lord Rous's keeper, when out with 



