INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. 



Being supplied with a gun, we next come to 

 advise our young sportsman upon his supply of 

 powder : the vital principle of shooting. If ori- 

 ginally of a good quality, this agent will last 

 unimpaired for a very great length of time always 

 premising that its being kept perfectly dry is a 

 sine qua non. If once allowed to become damp, 

 your powder can never be restored to its first 

 excellence ; as moisture dissolves, more or less, 

 the materials which give it strength. Even the 

 air has a tendency to produce, or, at all events, 

 quickly to instil, damp into saltpetre ; therefore, 

 to preserve your powder, in all its original proper- 

 ties, keep it hermetically sealed in tin cases, 

 which are infinitely the best. A great deal has 

 lately been written upon the granulation of gun- 

 powder, and other subtilties of this composition ; 

 but, for all ordinary sporting purposes, get the 

 best quality of any recognised manufacturer, and 

 you may be sure of an article suitable to all your 

 wants : Curtis and Harvey ; Pigou and Co. Try 

 their wares, and if your piece do n't carry straight, 

 be sure the fault is not in the propelling principle. 



Much diversity of opinion prevails as to the 

 best general charge for a gun to our thinking, 

 there can be no rule for any such thing. First 



