DETONATING SYSTEM. 83 



to one of these gentlemen or to the other ; so let them 

 fight it out themselves, and, in the mean time, leave me 

 to go on with my work. For I have as much dislike 

 to superfluous writing, as to interfering with the con- 

 tests of others. Enough of this now again to the 

 point about the powder. When Mr. Joyce first brought 

 it forward, his agent in Birmingham had served him 

 with caps of brittle cannon-metal, instead of the best 

 worked copper. The consequence was, that many 

 sportsmen, and I among the number, were severely cut, 

 and had nearly lost an eye, owing to the quality of the 

 cap, not the powder. This was of course a glorious 

 victory for all Mr. Joyce's oxygen-opponents, and the 

 fault was unjustly laid on the composition. I can only 

 say, however, by subsequent experience, that since Mr. 

 Joyce has used nothing but good copper, all the caps 

 that I had of him have gone as well as any in the 

 kingdom, and his percussion powder does not injure 

 the guns any thing like so much as the other. Let 

 him, therefore, be very careful, in future, to get sup- 

 plied with GOOD COPPER, of a good substance, and I 

 may safely venture to recommend his " Anti-corrosive 

 percussion powder." 



P.S. 1830. Mr. Joyce, having since paid great at- 

 tention to this, has now completely established his 

 powder all over the world ; and is therefore no longer 

 in need of any one to plead his cause. A large manu- 

 factory is now established by Messrs. F. & E. Joyce at 

 No. 55, Bartholomew Close, West Smithfield ; and so 

 extensive is this business, that the chemical establish- 

 ment in Compton-street has been resigned to Mr. 

 Potter, who is Mr. Joyce's retail dealer in, and there- 

 fore the best agent for gentlemen to apply to if they 



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