SHOT. 103 



person, who has thoroughly investigated the subject, 

 the merits or demerits of the invention. In 1827, Mr. 

 Jenour waited on me, as an entire stranger, relative to 

 publishing a pamphlet entitled " An Essay," &c. &c. 

 on the " Spiral Cartridge ;" an invention for which he 

 received a premium from the Society of Arts, but which 

 he had made too public to admit with safety of his 

 taking out a patent. He however felt anxious to bring 

 the invention into notice ; and Mr. Davison, most 

 kindly, on my introducing him, undertook the printing 

 of his pamphlet. To be brief, this led to his inventing 

 a better, because more simple, kind of cartridge ; and 

 this he wisely kept as a secret, till he could meet with 

 some one who had the wherewithal to speculate in 

 a patent. Messrs. Eley became the purchasers ; but 

 latterly the concern remained with Mr. Charles Eley 

 alone. To describe the many blunders that were made, 

 first by putting sand, and then tallow-grease, with 

 the shot, (against which I wrote letter after letter of 

 remonstrance), would be needless ; but suffice it to say 

 that, by the time the cartridges were brought so far 

 to perfection as to be worth their weight in gold, for 

 certain purposes, the circulation of the imperfect ones 

 had given them an almost irretrievable blow ; and here 

 ended the grand establishment in Charlotte-street. Mr. 

 Eley then retired to Waltham Cross, and employed 

 a Mr. Fairman as agent, at a little shop in Fitzroy 

 Market ; till, at last, Mr. Purdey, the gunmaker, took 

 to the concern, and purchased for <100 what had the 

 year before been refused ,10,000 for ! This Purdey 

 told me himself; and I would take his word as soon as 

 that of any man in London. This was a masterly 

 manoeuvre of Purdey ; because it enables him to cope 



