145 COLONEL HANQRB TO 



how far short ; for the ball must make a 

 very visible mark on the moist sands. I al- 

 ways lay two thick horse-cloths down, and lie 

 down on my belly on them to shoot, placing 

 a log of wood before me to lay my gun 

 over. This method is a great assistance to 

 you, for you evidently must see the direc- 

 tions the balls have taken, which have 

 missed the target : on any other ground 

 you cannot have this accurate advantage : 

 lying flat down is also the surest position 

 vou can fire from. 

 Of strait I should bc extremclv happy if it were 



Gunpowder, *^ i i J 



Ihots!^ ^*^ in my power to instruct the Bunhill-Row 

 and Spital-Fields Cockney-sportsmen, and 

 other bad shots, how to improve in their 

 shooting ; but, after much reflection and 

 study, I find it totally out of my power. 

 However, I am labouring for their advan- 

 tage, and with no small doubt of making 

 my fortune also, should I succeed : it is by 

 the invention of strait powder. But, 

 hitherto, I have failed of finding an effec- 

 tual composition to mix with gunpowder, 

 to make it shoot strait; and have been 

 equally as unsuccessful as the chemists have 



