THE FOWLING-PIECE. 177 



recoil more than when mounted on a stock that is 

 considerably bent, as the curvature serves to break 

 and deaden the force of the recoil. Also, a gun will 

 recoil severely, whenever it is not applied firmly and 

 properly to the shoulder, 



It will be necessary to notice, in this place, a no- 

 tion which formerly existed, but which, I should sup- 

 pose, is now rejected, even by the vulgar and igno- 

 rant I mean that of the recoil being increased by 

 the touch- hole being placed at some distance from 

 the breech-plug, so that the powder, instead of being 

 fired at its base, is kindled near the centre of the 

 charge. The fallacy of this doctrine, however, has 

 been so frequently and completely exposed, and so 

 generally known, that 1 believe the reader will very 

 readily excuse me for not tiring his patience with a 

 detailed account of experiments made use of to ascer- 

 tain tins point. But I will take leave to mention one 

 great inconvenience, which arises from the touch* 

 hole being placed close to the breech-plug; which 

 is, that it is much more liable to be stopped up, than 

 when, situated about a quarter of an inch above it* 



Of the Range of Barrels. 



It was formerly the general notion, that the longer 

 the barrel, the farther the ball or shot would be 

 thrown. So great, however, has been the change of 



i 5 



