206 Memoir of Tom Smith. 



also wislied to be shot in tlie eye, in preference to 

 receiving the charge on his thick leather leggings. 

 A nearly fatal accident occurred quite re- 

 cently to another friend, and which is men- 

 tioned here as a warning to those who delight 

 in novelties. Last August Mr. Smith received 

 a haunch of venison from Lord Gage, and a 

 day or two after came a letter, dated from 

 Firle Park, in which his lordship said : ^^ I, 

 directly after shooting the deer, wished to try 

 the merits of the new gun-cloth ammunition ; 

 and I shot at a water-lily in my water three 

 times with it, each shot of which dropped in 

 the water short of the mark aimed at, al- 

 though I rested my gun against the tree to 

 steady the aim. I then took my son's gun 

 to fire the fourth charge, when it burst at the 

 breech, and both locks were diiven away ; one 

 of which passed close to my son's head, and 

 the stock was blown to atoms ; one part passed 

 over my shoulder, and tore off a large piece of 

 the bark of the tree." 



