DETONATING SYSTEM. 63 



gun; but they so disfigure and inconvenience the 

 handle of the stock, that I never desire to see them on 

 any gun of mine, except on a coast " cripple-stopper." 

 But Mr. Bishop has just shown me some new locks of 

 Westley Richards that are equally well protected, and 

 far neater in appearance. 1830.) 



" The superiority of the foregoing plan may, perhaps, 

 in a great measure, be accounted for thus : every gun 

 that fires at the side, positively must have some of its 

 advantage in shooting sacrificed to a good-shed touch- 

 hole, or it will be for ever liable to miss fire. A gun 

 that fires near the bottom of the breech, by the hole in 

 a nipple or pivot, has that hole, however large it may 

 be, closed up, with the cock, or striker, by the very blow 

 that puts the charge in action ; and consequently no 

 powder can escape, there being no hole then left open, 

 except the very little gas-hole, which lets out the de- 

 tonating flame." 



SUBSEQUENT TRIAL, on the 18th of November 

 (with No. 7 shot), of a fourteen gauge gun (barrels by 

 Lancaster), with flints, and afterwards with cocks and 

 hammers put on, with which was used the detonating 

 powder : 



FLINTS. 



DETONATERS. 



Majority in favour of the Flint 107 73 



21 18 



