COURSING, ETC. 223 



barrel : it must also be observed, that such 

 wadding never falls to the ground in less 

 than ten or twelve yards from the muzzle of 

 the piece, if properly placed on the powder 

 and shot, and makes the piece shoot closer 

 and much stronger than any other kind of 

 wadding, except that made of the best velvet 

 cork. A cork wadding I have found by re- 

 peated trials to be the best of any for in- 

 creasing the range and closeness of shot. 



I have made several experiments in regard 

 to a cork wadding, which, if adapted to the 

 caliber of the piece, produces greater effect 

 than either hat or card-paper, in these re- 

 spects, that by stopping the barrel more her- 

 metically, it prevents the elastic fluid, pro- 

 duced by the explosion of the powder, from 

 escaping between the partition of wadding 

 and the charge, and preserves all its force 

 to the mouth of the piece, thereby rendering 

 the effect of the powder greater. 



