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easy; and altogether considerably sunk upon 

 the bended spring of both knees; assuming 

 thus, by this extension of the legs, and cross 

 direction of the feet, a position of firm, but 

 flexible, support." There, Sir, I leave you 

 standing in this attitude, whilst I proceed to 

 digest a little, and to arrange, my instructions 

 for the more effectual attainment of the art 

 which I am professing to teach you. 



In order to make myself as thoroughly under- 

 stood as I can, I shall give to these instructions 

 the form of an absolute drill exercise, with 

 duly separated motions; which I shall leave 

 you to combine hereafter, and to work up by 

 practice into a rapid, but explicit, execution. 

 Uncertainty and error have their foundation in 

 ignorance, or in neglect of principles: and it is 

 only by a direct recurrence to these, that we 

 can hope effectually to reclaim the former. 

 Disdain not, even at this time of day, to be 

 taken back through the very hornbook of 

 instruction. I assure you, Sir, for a dozen 

 years or more of my shooting life, I blurted 

 away as great a quantity of powder, with as 

 much noise and as little effect, as any gentle- 

 man upon my scale need to do ; and it was not 

 until I had repeatedly and pertinaciously drilled 

 myself, through some similar practical detail, 



