114 MANUAL FOR YOUNG SPORTSMEN. 
ous stream, with great successive rapidity, almost in a 
minimum space of time. 
For the latter, to fire two or three shots almost instan- 
taneously, either at one animal constantly in motion, and 
increasing its distance from the firer, or at two, or possibly 
at three animals starting before him, simultaneously, and 
going from him at great velocity, is the ne plus ultra. 
Of revolvers, there are several kinds recently introduced, 
two of which are noticeable. Colt’s and Porter’s patent 
revolving arms—the former, on account of its celebrity 
and excellence, as a pistol, for use in brief, rapid encoun- 
ters; the latter, on account of its utter worthlessness for 
any purpose. As applied to a military rifle, Colt’s revolv- 
ing chamber fails, for several reasons. First, it cannot 
be made of sufficient calibre to carry any ball of telling 
weight, at long range, without being monstrously unsym- 
metrical and unwieldy. Secondly, after four or six shots 
have been discharged, the cylinder must be removed and 
reloaded by a slow and complex operation, during which 
the bearer is virtually unarmed, and liable to be ridden 
over by horse or charged with the bayonet, while unable 
to offer any resistance. Thirdly, it is difficult to be 
cleaned. Fourthly, it cannot be loaded, at all, but by 
means of its own peculiar apparatus—which lost, it is all 
but useless, Lastly, if injured, or out of order, it cannot 
be repaired by any ordinary armorer or gunsmith. 
As a military weapon, therefore, it may be pronounced 
useless—this objection not being understood as applying 
to cavalry or boarding pistols, to be used only during 
close, rapid combats of a few seconds or minutes’ duration, 
