262 



THE CABINET OF NATURAL HISTORY 



a direct line of the barrel, it can be discharged with aston- 

 ishing rapidity, and with the same precision and effect as 

 the most perfect among the ordinary Rifles. 



As I felt much interest in this newly invented gun, the 

 proprietor took some pains to test its correctness and utility 

 on several occasions, in my presence, and the result was of 

 the most satisfactory kind, and which I firmly believe, will 

 in a great measure supplant the common gun, especially for 

 the purposes of war, and hunting large game. The de- 

 mand, however, for the present, is greater tlian the means 

 of suppl}', but as the manufacturer has it in contemplation 

 to enlarge his establishment, he will be able to supply any 

 orders which may be sent to him. 



The price varies from 45 to 100 dollars each; as however, 

 a more perfect account of it is contained in his "patent," I 

 have selected that part of it, on which his right is founded, 

 that alone differing from the common Rifle. 



" The fundamental principles, or what may be termed the 

 basis of this machine, and that which constitutes the skele- 

 ton and main support of this invention, is a circular piece 

 about five eighths of an inch thick, with an axle made of one 

 solid piece; on this axle a cylindrical magazine is made to re- 

 volve, and is closel}^ fitted to the face of this circular piece, this 

 circular piece forms a cap to the magazine; in the face of this 

 cap there is a recess of sufficient depth to admit a piece of deer 

 skin or spunge, which serves to lubricate the joint with oil, 

 which is kept close to an air tight joint, by a strong nut 

 and screw, on the hinder end of the axle. There is an 

 elongation of this axle, which passes into the breech and is 

 fastened by a screw pin passing through it, into the lower 

 part of the break off piece; this break off piece extends over 

 the magazine on top, about a half inch wide, and one six- 

 teenth of an inch thick, and terminating in a crotch, and is 

 let into the edge of the cap or flange, which projects in form 

 of a fillet beyond the magazine, and is fastened by two 

 screws; this piece gives additional strength and stability to 

 the breech. Between the centre and the periphery of this 

 cap or flange, the main barrel is inserted so as to form a line 

 with the top of the magazine, and corresponds with the ca- 

 liiire of the magazine in its operations, this operation is ad- 

 justed bj^ a spring and catch fixed in the lower edge of the 

 cap and juts into gains cut in the edge of the magazine, and 

 is easily relieved by the finger, while the revolving cham- 

 bers turn backward or forward at pleasure. This magazine 

 contains seven distinct chambers of sufficient depth for a 

 full charge, independent of each other. The loading of 

 these may be performed through the main barrel or through 

 the cap, as fancy dictates. These seven chambers, when load- 

 ed and primed, may be discharged distinctly in twenty 

 seconds. In the arrangement of this gun, there is safety 

 and certainty in its operations. 



*' The lock adapted to this kind of fire arms, is of the per- 

 cussion kind, and where the percussion pin strikes the mag- 

 azine, the fuse hole is drilled a little obliquely so as to 

 meet the calibre. 



" The improvements relied on in this machine, consists in 

 the simplicity of its construction, and everyway adapted to 

 hunting and war purposes." J. D. 



DICK LINGER'S ATTEMPT AT A STEEPLE CHASE. 



My schoolfellow, Dick Linger, was never ready for any 

 thing but his dinner: I say /lis dinner, for he was always 

 too late for every body's else. He was a loiterer from his 

 very birth, for he came sauntering into the world on the day 

 on which his youngest brother had completed his fifteenth 

 year. He was, of course, his mother's pet and his father's 

 darling, and, by consequence, the plague of the whole 

 house. At school he obtained the soubriquet of Dilatory 

 Dick: he was last up in the morning, and, at night, every 

 boy in his room was in bed, and the candle put out, before 

 Dick had divested himself of half his clothes; and many a 

 time has he awakened his bed-fellow from his first sleep by 

 driving his toe into his eye, or doing him in the dark, as 

 the law hath it, some other grievous bodily harm. At 

 cricket he was usually bowled out by the second or third 

 ball, for he never struck at it till it had passed him; and, 

 when it was his turn to look out, he walked after it as if he 

 had been following a funeral or going to be whipped. Naj'', 

 he was behind-hand even in mischief; for, if any expedi- 

 tion against a neighbouring orchard was undertaken, Dick 

 usually contrived to arrive just in time to be seized by the 

 proprietor and handed over to condign punishment, while 

 his companions ran off with the booty. From his procras- 

 tinating habits, as well as from the circumstance of his being 

 so frequently flogged for the delinquencies of others, he was 

 facetiously termed the tail of the school. On one occasion, 

 I remember, on which he had contrived to introduce him- 

 self to the mill-pond, he remained such a tediously long 

 time under water, that, if one of his comrades had not gone 

 down after him, I verily believe he would never have come 

 up at all. 



He would, doubtless, have been a scholar of no mean ac- 

 quirements had he remained a sufficient time at his studies; 

 but happening to be taken from school at eighteen, the poor 

 fellow had no chance. I remember that, although we 

 started in the classics together, and I was no fire-eater, I 

 was construing Horace while he was wearing out his second 

 Corderius, and conjugating "amo" with infinitely more 

 complacency than success. His attempts at conjugation in 



