TO ORKNEY AND SHETLAND. J 23 



feet six inches in the barrel, with a bore seven 

 eighths of an inch in diameter, and one inch and 

 seven eighths across at the breech. The next in 

 size was four feet long in the barrel, three fourths 

 of an inch in width of bore, and one inch and 

 three fourths across the breech, outside measure- 

 ment. The smallest, for the boat, was three feet 

 six inches in length of the barrel, the width of the 

 bore and the strength of the breech being in the 

 same proportion. I had also a small fowling- 

 piece for shooting on land. Whatever size the 

 guns may be, I should recommend the traveller to 

 have them made strong, particularly about the 

 breech, as they are so liable to get wet even with the 

 best care and attention that can be paid to them ; 

 by being particular in this respect accidents may 

 be prevented. It will be unnecessary to speak in 

 favour of percussion locks ; they have stood the 

 test of trial, and are now almost universally used $ 

 in shooting the Divers they are invaluable. Guns 

 of the above description with twisted barrels will 

 not burst, with fair play ; in firing at large flocks 

 of birds, I have frequently put double charges into 

 mine, and have tried them in other respects very 

 severely without any accident happening. I had 

 also three square tin boxes of different sizes, made 

 perfectly water-tight, and a small wicker basket, 

 g2 



