IGNITION OF GUNPOWDER, &c. 



In conversation with a leading gunmakcr the other 

 day — a man of unquestionable intelligence — with 

 surprise I heard him state that, when at the point of 

 ignition, a preponderating portion of a charge of 

 gunpowder became exploded, the remainder of the 

 explosive that was not fired in the first instance got 

 burnt on its passage up the barrel, such adMtional 

 burning giving increased power towards propulsion of 

 the charge of shot. 



On this point I would like to hear the opinion 

 of some competent person, for although a man 

 can make a gun, I have found many whose trade it 

 is to do so, very ignorant indeed upon important and 

 interesting questions on practical gunnery. 



" Fleur de Lys " (an officer, I believe, in the Royal 

 Artillery) has letters lately in a leading perio- 

 dical, that have interested me very much. His 

 proposal to fill the cavity of an Ex^jress bullet 

 with quicksilver, so as to retain gravity, particularly 

 has done so. Like nearly all great discoveries, this 

 is so remarkably simple that the wonder is no person 

 has proposed it before. I feel confident that the 

 adoption of it can but be a trifling matter of time tr 

 all thinking sportsmen. 



What he says some weeks ago in praise of 

 black powder over lately-invented explosives I 



