340 STANCHION, OR PUNT-GUN. 



ounces of Messrs. Curtis and Harvey's best coarse 

 powder. I fired from the confined swivel, that is ge- 

 nerally used by the London gunmakers ! in doing which 

 I levelled at least a foot over the object ; arid, by this 

 means (as the water and the paper proved), shot per- 

 fectly accurate. Buckle then fired ; having taken level 

 at the centre of the object, from the swivel : and the 

 whole charge went into the water, before it had gone 

 ninety yards, where the target was placed. I then 

 began to abuse Mr. D. Egg, and said, I hoped that 

 Buckle, as an experienced gunner, and an engineer (he 

 having been a long time in his Majesty's service), was 

 convinced of the fault of the gun ; on which he said, 

 and with justice I own, that both " the London gen- 

 tlemen," and I, had " a little to learn yet." He then, 

 to use his own words, " hove away that humbugging 

 swivel ;" and, by means of a large bolster of sheeps'- 

 wool, fired the gun from his shoulder, with the same 

 charge as before ; which 1 put in myself. He pre- 

 sented as usual, directly at the object, and made such 

 a shot as this barrel had never before been known to 

 make, both for strength and closeness. I then, to be 

 convinced of his veracity, as to taking aim, fired the 

 gun in his way with about ten ounces of shot, not quite 

 fancying the pound to my shoulder. I levelled /, in- 

 stead of over, the mark, and the shot were delivered 

 with the greatest accuracy. The gun, with this charge, 

 went under my arm precisely five inches, as I after- 

 wards measured. If a gun, when fired this way, was 

 to swerve in going back, it would be dangerous ; and 

 therefore the under part of the stock, in order to lie 

 firm on the bench, ought either to be made fiat, or 

 fixed in a piece of wood, that w&sflat at bottom. It 



