THE GUN, AND HOW TO USE IT. 95 



stock is expended, and there is no store at hand whence to 

 replace it. 



There was formerly sold a patent metallic English 

 wad, which I approved, both on account of the small bulk 

 it occupied, and that it kept the gun clean; I have, how- 

 ever, seen none lately, and they seem to have gone out of 

 fashion. A species of medicated or oiled wad is now sold 

 for the same purpose ; and it is recommended to mix a few 

 with the common stock, so that one will be occasionally 

 used, as it is claimed to clean the barrels. These I neither 

 praise nor the reverse. I do not know what medicament 

 is that applied, and some are highly injurious to metal. 



The best gunpowder for upland shooting, by many de- 

 grees, in my opinion, is Curtis and Harvey's diamond 

 grain, No. 2 ; next to that, Pigou and Wilkes', and of late 

 years, an admirable Scotch powder — I believe the Roslin 

 mills. But I consider Curtis and Harvey's the cleanest, 

 quickest, strongest, best, that I have ever tried. Dupont's 

 American powder is undoubtedly strong — perhaps stronger, 

 if strength alone were the test, than any other — but it is 

 so irremediably filthy, that I abominate the sight or men- 

 tion of it. It were not too much to say, that ten shots 

 fired with Dupont's powder foul a gun more than five and 

 twenty with any of the reputable English or Scotch 

 powders. 



I consider the best powder that ever was invented for 

 large guns, especially for sea shooting, where the salt air 

 decomposes the ordinary qualities, to be Hawker's duck- 

 ing powder, manufactured by the same makers I have 

 named, with preference, above. 



