354 lewis' AMElilCAN SPORTSMAN. 



to. When going through thick cover with our powder and 

 shot secured in this way, we feel perfectly easy about them, as 

 we know that if by any chance they should be pulled out of 

 their place, we would immediately feel them dangling to our 

 person long before the cord could be broken. 



TERCUSSION CAPS. 



Great quantities of French and German caps are consumed in 

 America, not because, however, they are superior to the English, 

 but on the score of cheapness. These caps are generally inferior 

 to the English, but they can be had of excellent quality by 

 paying a little extra for them, but even then they are not equal 

 to those made by the celebrated manufacturers of England. 



The English caps, of approved make, are much larger and 

 stronger than the best French, and when exploded split with an 

 even and regular fracture without flying, as is often the case 

 with the highest-priced French caps. Nothing is more annoy- 

 ing, and even dangerous, than the use of caps made of metal so 

 thin and brittle, that, at every explosion, they are torn into 

 several small pieces, that fly about into the hands, and even cut 

 the face, or perhaps lodge in the eye. Several of our acquaint- 

 ances have had narrow escapes from losing their ej'es by the 

 use of theso miserable articles, and we ourself have had our 

 hands cut more than once when forced to use them. 



The composition of fulminating powder now used in caps is 

 not as corrosive in its properties as formerly, and, therefore, less 

 objectionable. At first, large quantities of sulphur were used 

 in the manufacture of cap-powder, which of course made the 

 composition very corroding to every portion of the gun it came 

 in contact with ; at present, the tubes or chambers of the 

 fowling-piece suffer but little from this drug, as its use has been 

 almost entirely abandoned. When we say "abandoned," we do 

 not wish to be understood that this corrosive powder is no 

 longer employed in the manufacture of cheap caps, for such is 

 not the case; but, on the contrar}'', nearly all those caps that 

 come from the Continent, both German and French, are made 

 with a mixture of chlorate of potash, sulphur, and charcoal, and 



