478 LEWIS'S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN. 



palings," as they were termed, knew full well that they would 

 most likely burst under the first explosion of a moderate-sized 

 charge of powder and shot. Large numbers of these dangerous 

 weapons were sent to this country ; but they were furnished in far 

 greater numbers to the slave-dealers for their nefarious and in- 

 human traffic on the coast of Africa. One of these worthless instru- 

 ments, costing but a few shillings, was the usual price at that time 

 of a human being ; and what made the transaction still more unholy 

 was the full knowledge, on the part of the traders, that the igno- 

 rant and degraded barterer in his own flesh and blood would soon 

 pay the penalty of his wickedness, in the loss of a portion of his 

 hand, if not his life, by the bursting of his ill-gotten prize. 



In spite of the parliamentary enactments for the government 

 of this important department, great frauds, as before stated, still 

 continue to be practised upon the public, particularly upon foreign 

 consumers. 



If all the gun-barrels that come to our country were properly 

 tested on the other side, we would not so often hear of the burst- 

 ing of guns and the distressing accidents consequent upon these 

 mishaps. The fact is, that the London and Birmingham proof- 

 marks are not only forged in England, but they are even imitated 

 in Germany; and large quantities of the latter trash, far worse 

 than the most inferior English, are imported into our country, and 

 may be bought at almost any price ranging from five to fifteen 

 dollars for a double-barrelled gun of quite respectable appear- 

 ance, and warranted in good faith by the ignorant dealers a regu- 

 lar stub-twist. 



Greener gives a proof-scale of charges by which every barrel 

 should be tested at the established proof-houses, and also furnishes 

 a complete description of the whole business, which is quite inte- 

 resting and instructive. All the respectable gunmakers of Ame- 

 rica test their gun-barrels themselves before they make them up for 

 their customers. 



The London proof-house requires that double-barrelled guns be 

 joined together before testing, so that the gunsmith may be pre- 



