192 GUNPOWDER. 



the manufacture of this article ; nor is it likely, that either he 

 or any other chemist should be so well acquainted with the pro- 

 cess of making this combustible, as those who are in the con- 

 stant habit of attending to it in all its different stages. Good 

 powder is distinguished by the instantaneity of its ignition, by 

 the clearness of its burning, as well as by its tinging the pan with 

 a gold colour, and depositing little or no residuum or feculent 

 matter; and these qualities Lawrence's powder possesses in an 

 eminent degree.* In damp weather, however, powder will not 



* " The late very fine breeding season had, with me, raised expec- 

 tation to the tip-toe ; and, amongst other preparatory matters, I de- 

 termined to try the strength of different gunpowders, some of which are 

 offered to the notice of the sportsman under high-sounding denomina- 

 tions. I, in the first place, made use of an instrument, called a powder- 

 tryer, specially made for the purpose ; and, after a number of experi- 

 ments, not quite so satisfactory as I could wish, I had recourse to the 

 fowling-piece; and, by weighing the charge, both powder and shot, 

 with all possible accuracy, and firing at sheets of smooth close paper, I 

 at length arrived at a result more satisfactory than that which I had de- 

 rived from the tryer. The powder manufactured by Pigou and Co. 

 and that made by Curtis and Harvey, as well as that made by Lawrence 

 of Battle, are excellent, though, from repeated trial, the last was 

 evidently the strongest, while the combustion seemed to deposit less 

 feculent matter or residuum. Of six different samples of gunpowder 

 which I tried, the three which I have mentioned were so far superior to 

 the rest, that the latter are not worthy of enumeration ; and in order 

 that they all might be fairly tried, I had kept the samples in the same 

 dry cupboard for several weeks prior to the experiments. Powder kept 

 in a damp place, or even exposed to the action of the atmosphere, will 

 lose much of its force, burn comparatively dull, and the explosion is fol- 

 lowed by a greater deposition of extraneous matter or filth. 



From these experiments, I was led to make a trial of percussion pow 

 dcr, in order to ascertain how far it might be applicable for the charge 

 as well as the priming ; and for this purpose I had again recourse to the 

 powder- tryer, fearful lest unpleasant consequences might ensue from 

 prematurely firing it in the barrel of the fowling piece. However, I 



