114 EQUIPMENT. 



caps ; a tapered metallic tube through 'which (to 

 insure them a level position and to prevent their 

 edges from being injured) the wads are pushed 

 into the shell ; and a short piece of inch pine 

 plank, bored partly through with sixteen holes, to 

 receive the bases of the shells and to hold them 

 erect for loading. 



Oil for Locks, etc. — No vegetable oil should 

 ever be used upon gun-locks ; it is liable to 

 gum, and thus interfere with their free working. 

 Porpoise oil or refined sperm are the best for 

 the purpose, and but very little is required. 

 Porpoise oil is the kind generally used by gun- 

 makers. To prevent rust, almost any kind of 

 animal or fish oil free from suet is good ; and 

 for the stock, linseed-oil well rubbed in gives 

 a nice polish, and will prevent water from pene- 

 trating. Caked dirt or a slight rust may be easily 

 removed from the interior of a barrel by scouring 

 with wet wood-ashes. 



Powder. — In the West it is customary to use 

 a much finer-grained powder for duck-shooting 

 than is employed by the sea-coast shooters ; but 

 this I consider due more to habit than because 

 any better results can be obtained from it ; in fact, 

 of two of the best duck-shooters of my acquaint- 



