MISCELLANEOUS HINTS. 435 



too small in the grain. For what purpose it is made so, except U 

 please the j^unmakers, I never could imagine. I have no hesitation 

 in asserting that, if you obtain powder of fine grain and powder 

 composed of the same quality of ingredients coarser grained, the 

 latter will be found to be stronger than the former. This I have 

 tried in various ways, both by the rifle and the musket, and the 

 same quantity of the coarser invariably gives the longer range. It 

 is owing, in my opinion, to each grain containing within itself 

 greater force. When one is ignited, its effect is greater than that 

 of several small ones. Four times the quantity of small-grained 

 has to be ignited to generate the same force as is required of the 

 larger-grained. Again, the small grain is generally coated with a 

 sort of varnish, which must be injurious to its quickness. Another 

 advantage the larger grain possesses is, that from its size it is less 

 liable to be completely compressed into a solid state, and from the 

 largeness of the interstices around them more atmospheric air is 

 contained in a body, which must greatly benefit it in igniting; as 

 without question (though it is possible to fire powder in vacuo) it 

 will burn better with the assistance of atmospheric air." 



The duck-shooters of our country, without exception, use the 

 coarse-grained powder, not only because they know it to be stronger, 

 but because it attracts, or rather absorbs, a much less quantity of 

 atmospheric moisture than the fine. We recollect on one occasion, 

 when shooting canvas-backs from one of the points at the Spesutia 

 Narrows, by some unfortunate mishap both barrels of our gun 

 became suddenly disabled, one from the flying off of the pivot, 

 and the other from some trifling derangement in the machinery of 

 the lock. The morning was a very fine one for the flight of ducks, 

 and they were passing over our heads ever and anon, in countless 

 numbers and at a fair shooting-distance. Unhappily for us, how- 

 ever, we were forced, nolens volem, to be a silent spectator, and 

 not, as was our wont, an active participator in the scenes around 

 us. One of our sporting companions, a thorough blood in this 

 line, and we might term him a "duck-shooter by profession" as 

 well as a "duck-shooter by education," as he had done little else 



