262 THE CABINET OF 
a direct line of the barrel, it can be discharged with aston- 
ishing rapidity, and with the same precision and effect as 
the most perfect among the ordinary Rifles. 
As I felt much interest in this newly invented gun, the 
proprietor took some pains to test its correctness and utility 
on several occasions, in my presence, and the result was of 
the most satisfactory kind, and which I firmly believe, will 
in a great measure supplant the common gun, especially for 
the purposes of war, and hunting large game. The de- 
mand, however, for the present, is greater than the means 
of supply, but as the manufacturer has it in contemplation 
to enlarge his establishment, he will be able to supply any 
orders which may be sent to him. 
The price varies from 45 to 100 dollars each; as however, 
a more perfect account of it is contained in his “ patent,” I 
have selected that part of it, on which his right is founded, 
that alone differing from the common Rifle. 
“ The fundamental principles, or what may be termed the 
basis of this machine, and that which constitutes the skele- 
ton and main support of this invention, is a circular piece 
about five eighths of an inch thick, with an axle made of one 
solid piece; on this axle a cylindrical magazine is made to re- 
volve, and is closely fitted to the face of this circular piece, this 
circular piece forms a cap to the magazine; in the face of this 
cap there is a recess of sufficient depth to admit a piece of deer 
skin or spunge, which serves to lubricate the joint with oil, 
which is kept close to an air tight joint, by a strong nut 
and screw, on the hinder end of the axle. There is an 
elongation of this axle, which passes into the breech and is 
fastened by a screw pin passing through it, into the lower 
part of the break off piece; this break off piece extends over 
the magazine on top, about a half inch wide, and one six- 
teenth of an inch thick, and terminating in a crotch, and is 
let into the edge of the cap or flange, which projects inform 
of a fillet beyond the magazine, and is fastened by two 
screws; this piece gives additional strength and stability to 
the breech. Between the centre and the periphery of this 
cap or flange, the main barrel is inserted so as to form a line 
with the top of the magazine, and corresponds with the ca- 
libre of the magazine in its operations, this operation is ad- 
justed by a spring and catch fixed in the lower edge of the 
cap and juts into gains cut in the edge of the magazine, and 
is easily relieved by the finger, while the revolving cham- 
bers turn backward or forward at pleasure. This magazine 
contains seven distinct chambers of sufficient depth for a 
full charge, independent of each other. The loading of 
these may be performed through the main barrel or through 
the cap, as fancy dictates. These seven chanibers, when load- 
ed and primed, may be discharged distinctly in twenty 
seconds. In the arrangement of this gun, there is safety 
and certainty in its operations. 
NATURAL HISTORY 
“ The lock adapted to this kind of fire arms, is of the per- 
cussion kind, and where the percussion pin strikes the mag- 
azine, the fuse hole is drilled a little obliquely so as to 
meet the calibre. 
“ The improvements relied on in this machine, consists in 
the simplicity of its construction, and every way adapted to 
hunting and war purposes.” J. H. 
DICK LINGER’S ATTEMPT AT A STEEPLE CHASE. 
My schoolfellow, Dick Linger, was never ready for any 
thing but his dinner: I say his dinner, for he was always 
too late for every body’s else. He was a loiterer from his 
very birth, for he came sauntering into the world on the day 
on which his youngest brother had completed his fifteenth 
year. He was, of course, his mother’s pet and his father’s 
darling, and, by consequence, the plague of the whole 
house. At school he obtained the soubriquet of Dilatory 
Dick: he was last up in the morning, and, at night, every 
boy in his room was in bed, and the candle put out, before 
Dick had divested himself of half his clothes; and many a 
time has he awakened his bed -fellow from his first sleep by 
driving his toe into his eye, or doing him in the dark, as 
the law hath it, some other grievous bodily harm. At 
cricket he was usually bowled out by the second or third 
ball, for he never struck at it till it had passed him; and, 
when it was his turn to look out, he walked after it as if he 
had been following a funeral or going to be whipped. Nay, 
he was behind-hand even in mischief ; for, if any expedi- 
tion against a neighbouring orchard was undertaken, Dick 
usually contrived to arrive just in time to be seized by the 
proprietor and handed over to condign punishment, while 
his companions ran off with the booty. From his procras- 
tinating habits, as well as from the circumstance of his being 
so frequently flogged for the delinquencies of others, he was 
facetiously termed the tail of the school. On one occasion, 
I remember, on which he had contrived to introduce him- 
self to the mill-pond, he remained such a tediously long 
time under water, that, if one of his comrades had not gone 
down after him, I verily believe he would never have come 
up at all. 
He would, doubtless, have been a scholar of no mean ac- 
quirements had he remained a sufficient time at his studies; 
but happening to be taken from school at eighteen, the poor 
fellow had no chance. I remember that, although we 
started in the classics together, and I was no fire-eater, I 
was construing Horace while he was wearing out his second 
Corderius, and conjugating “amo” with infinitely more 
complacency than success. His attempts at conjugation in 
