MISCELLANEOUS HINTS. 387 



had not force enougli to carry heavy shot as strongly as the 

 common coarse-grained powder, such as is sold in the small 

 country shops, from which source our friend always procured 

 his supply, for as soon as he loaded with it the Ducks came 

 tumbling down right and left. 



GLAZED rOWDER. 



Some powder is glazed and some not. The comparative 

 strength of the two kinds is not much affected by the process 

 which it undergoes in glazing, as the grains are nothing more 

 (we believe) than triturated Avith black lead to give them the 

 glossy appearance which they exhibit ; however, their quickness 

 of ignition may be somewhat retarded by this partial coating of 

 lead which they receive. 



TESTS FOR POWDER. 



Fine English powder, when good, is found to impart scarcely 

 any color to the hand when crushed in the palm with the thumb. 

 American powder, to be perfect, should be equally free from all 

 charcoal appearances. There is a simple method of ascertaining 

 the quality of powder, which in some measure may be relied 

 on. If a small quantity be placed upon a sheet of white paper 

 and exploded, it should burn with a sudden white smoke, ac- 

 companied with a peculiar sharp report, or rather phiz^ that 

 the ear soon becomes familiar with and easily detects. There 

 should be nothing left on the paper after the explosion if the 

 powder be superior ; if, however, there be a blackish matter 

 left behind, the probability is that there is too much carbon in 

 the powder ; if the paper should exhibit a dotted appearance, 

 with little black splotches over it, we would be led to suppose 

 that the sulphur or nitre was inferior in quality and badly in- 

 corporated. 



THE EPREUVETTE, OR POAVDER PROVER. 



It is not an easy matter to ascertain the real strength of 

 powder, even by subjecting it to the test of the Epreuvette, an 



