OF THE OLD WORLD. 4G9 



to be able to load without haltinf;; or breaking the 

 line, and making all the rest of the company wait 

 until the operation is finislied. Who has not been 

 put off his shooting by having to wait whilst some 

 nervous, fidgety old gentleman hunts in a dozen 

 different pockets to find his powder-flask, wadding, 

 shot-bag, and caps, which are all dispensed with by 

 using a breech-loader? What an advantage it is, 

 when shooting in fens or swamps, to be able to load 

 without putting the butt of your gun in the mud or 

 water, whereby you soil your clothes when you put 

 it up to the shoulder and make yourself uncomfort- 

 able for the rest of the day. Also, what sportsman, 

 after a heavy day's shooting, has not found his 

 hands blackened and sticky from exploded gun- 

 powder, and sometimes raw and blistered from con- 

 stantly ramming down the charge? And in cold 

 weather who has not found loading with a common 

 gun, and putting on the caps, distress him beyond 

 measure, more especially if he has been obliged to 

 pull oft" his warm gloves before he is able to effect 

 it at last ? 



Another great advantage is to be able to change 

 the charge in a moment, according to the game to 

 be met with, instead of the old tedious method of 

 drawing the shot with the screw of the ramrod ; and 

 also to be able to load without noise, as, when game 

 is plentiful, the noise of ramming down an obstinate 

 wad frequently puts up birds on all sides. 



A sportsman armed with a breech-loader can re- 



