MISCELLANEOUS HINTS. 385 



coarse-grained has been accounted for on principles which, to 

 our mind, are both reasonable and convincing, and may be 

 explained by the perusal of the following extract taken from 

 Greener's work on this subject: " I have always thought and 

 am quite convinced that powder is made too small in the grain. 

 For what purpose it is made so, except to please the Gunmakers, 

 I never could imagine. 1 have no hesitation in asserting that, 

 if you obtain powder of fine grain and powder composed of 

 the same qualitj^ of ingredients coarser grained, the latter will 

 be found to be stronger than the former. This I have tried in 

 various waj's, both by the rifle and the musket, and the same 

 quantity of the coarser invariabhT" gives the longer range. It 

 is owing, in my opinion, to each grain containing wdthin 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 gene- 

 rally 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 an exception, use 

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

 stronger, but that it attracts, or rather absorbs, a much less 

 quantity of atmospheric moisture than the fine. We recollect 

 on one occasion, when shooting Canvass-Backs from one of the 

 points at the Shesutia 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 shoot- 

 ing distance. Unhappily for us, however, we were forced, nolens 

 volens, to be a silent spectator, and not an active participator, 

 in the scenes around us, as we were wont to do. One of our 

 25 



