THE GUN, AND HOW TO CHOOSE IT. 57 



approved by those makers. Laminated steel guns I have 

 certainly seen of rare beauty and finish, and of excellent 

 performance, by many makers of high standing and repu- 

 tation ; as Greener, Ellis, Dean and Adams, and others ; 

 still, in truth, I can only say I do not like them 



timeo Danaos et dona ferentes. 



I have seen Belgian guns, the best, I think, of all the 

 Belgian work I have met, of the damascened twist, which, 

 to a sound and safe appearance, have united good per- 

 formance, and have stood well in service. But I have 

 never seen any foreign European work, which for per- 

 formance in the field and in long endurance can compare 

 with the best English. Le Page, of Paris, turns out, 

 unquestionably, the best French work. I have seen little 

 Belgian, and no German work, I mean on fowling-pieces, 

 not rifles or pistols, which I would care to own. 



In reference to laminated steel and damascus-twist 

 barrels, I will state here one fact, which may be of use 

 to novices, and on the correctness of which they K ay rely. 

 Exceedingly cheap guns of both these descriptions, are to 

 be found in every hardware and every gunsmith's shop. 

 These are, invariably, shams of*~the worst and most 

 atrocious kind infinitely worse than the common rubbish, 

 for the most part, which professes to be little more than 

 rubbish; since the very catchpenny frippery and fret- 

 work are merely put on to cover flaws and conceal the 

 real fibre of the metal. There never was such a ihiny 

 made in the world, as a low-priced, damascened twist or 

 3* 



