142 COLONEL HANGER TO 



powder, and some with one third of the 

 weight; seldom, if I be not erroneously- 

 informed, do you load wdth more powder 

 than one third. Now, gentlemen, I will 

 ask 3^ou a plain, candid, and simple ques- 

 tion, not founded on theory, but on practice ; 

 for theory I abhor ; it has led thousands into 

 ofthe force of error *. — Will not my hfle, loaded with one 



Powder ou a 



Kifle Ball. \,^^\f j-}-^^ wcight of the ball in powder, throw 

 a ball to a much greater distance, before 

 the force ofthe powder shall begin to lose, 

 in the smallest degree, its impulse on the 

 ball, than your rifle will, loaded with only- 

 one third of the weight of the ball in pow- 

 der? — I trust this point will not be disputed. 

 Now it will be said that the largest ball, 

 of twenty to the pound, being one third 

 heavier and considerably larger, will, by 

 its superior weight and size, operate more- 

 forcibly on the air, in its passage through 

 it, (so Robins tells us,) — pardon me, gen- 

 tlemen, if I do not speak technical!)^, — than 

 a smaller ball will. To which I reply, that 

 w^hat the smaller ball loses by its want of 

 weight, is most astonishingly compensated 

 for, by the triple velocity given to it, from 



