56 MANUAL FOR YOUNG SPORTSMEN. 
The latter objection, also, militates strongly against 
the damascene-twist barrels, which may be, and are so 
exactly imitated by means of etching with acid, and high- 
finishing afterward, that it will puzzle the best amateur 
to pronounce positively which is the real and which is the 
imitated article. 
It is further alleged, that in twisting and re-twisting 
the metallic threads to the degree necessary to produce 
the beautiful wavy appearance, which procures for this 
species of work the name of damascus—as if it were analo- 
gous to the celebrated method of scymitar-making, now 
lost, which it is known not to be—the tenacity of the 
separate fibres is destroyed. This question I leave to the 
expert, not being sufficiently informed to venture an 
opinion. The fact, however, that there is an apparently 
reasonable doubt existing among those best capable of 
speaking to the book, as to the toughness and tenacity of 
the component parts of these two species of metal, and as 
danger is inextricably connected with error, I judge it 
best to hold to the safe side; the rather, that no one 
will deny imposition to be both easier, and of more 
common occurrence in these, than in any other form of 
barrels. 
It tells, also, disadvantageously for the damascened 
twist, that one rarely, if ever, sees one by any of the 
great London or, even Birmingham houses. I am cer- 
tain that I have never seen a damascus-twist gun by 
Purday, Manton, Moore, Lancaster, or—I think—Westley 
Richards; though I will not say that none such exist. 
Their rarity, however, goes to indicate that they are not 
