38 SHOOTING IN CHINA 



the standard length for a twenty bore gun 

 of the present day. The most effective 

 twenty bore gun I ever owned had barrels 

 thirty two inches long and was built for me 

 by W. W. Greener as a special order. 



An opposition as earnest was offered 

 when it was proposed to substitute the 

 hammer gun with percussion cap for the 

 flint gun as was manifested to the introduc- 

 tion of the hammerless gun. The flint gun 

 was put aside with the greatest reluctance 

 and apparently with genuine grief by some 

 sportsmen. Col. Hawker gives vent to his 

 feelings in unmistakable language and takes 

 the occasion to remind the gunmakers that 

 since the death of Manton they were without 

 a king. "The gunmakers in short, still 

 remain as I left them like the frogs without 

 a king ; and, as before, complaining bitterly 

 about the dullness of trade. But for this 

 they have to thank their introduction of the 

 detonating system, by which they got 

 caught themselves in the very trap that was 

 laid for their customers. When flint guns 

 were the order of the day, few sporting 

 gentlemen of distinction ever thought of 

 using anything but the gun of a first rate 



