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But "Ware Hawk!" for after all our tedious showing why we have not time now to touch upon some knotty points in that letter, (but intending to do so when more at leisure,) we, all at once, discover that we actually are yielding to the magnetic influence of Crack's very endeavour; we therefore must break from the magnet, by confining ourselves to two points in that letter. First, we can assure your correspondent, of our perfect conviction-founded on our watching careless possessors of rifles, for their being riflemen is negatived by the charge-that a rifle lock that pulls off easy, is (in most hands indeed) more dangerous, instead of less so, than any (and especially a proper, a double) hair trigger lock, that is, one being a setting and the other a firing trigger, because with the latter construction two applications are required to effect an easy pulling off. Secondly, we can readily believe Crack's assertion that when he did not press the rifle against the shoulder at all, he shot twice as well as when he pressed the butt of the rifle firmly into the hollow of the shoulder, as recommended in our Helps and Hints," for the fact is that both are right. As this must appear strangely contradictory, indulge an old man's garrulity with leave to digress even to tell a homely story, because illustrative of the otherwise mysterious reason. A German medical practitioner not only sought to lay the foundation to fame for great cures, by employing the most indefatigable observation, but he aimed also at thus making up for a painful deficiency in his earlier requirements; so determined, he carefully and most minutely recorded all his cases. Despairing of the recovery of one of his patients, a blacksmith, the prey of a violent attack of fever and ague, he never knocked at his door, but with a foreboding of its being opened by some one in tears, if not by the undertaker's man himself; how great then must have been his surprise on finding himself admitted even by Vulcan himself, red hot too from the forge! Miracles he denied faith to;some rival Esculapius therefore he was sure had stepped in, more to destroy our doctor's fame, than to restore the sick; so impressed, his eager questions as to what medicines had been administered, and by whom, were reluctantly answered thus. "Must I then tell you the whole truth, doctor?" An ungracious nod, and a spiteful frown, left the patient no alternative. "I am afeard you'll be very cross," said the black"but who could help falling into the snare? I couldn't at any rate." "A snare!" interrupted the indignant doctor, "I thought so, and laid by one of my treacherous rivals as a matter of course,-tell by whom ;-was it Dr. N." "No." "Then it was Dr. S." "No." "Then it must be Dr. L." "Then who was the villain? I Why, if you must know,-it was, zounds how you'll be swearing if I tell you !—why it was-Sour-crout !-now its out, or rather Sour-crout and Pork," replied the man of iron,

smith;

insist upon your telling!"

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"No."

adding with an insinuating smile," Now don't you be angry, doctor, but really, what with being floored by the fever, shook by the ague, and starved by your orders; what with the savory smell of that delicate mess, dished up by my wife in the kitchen close to my sick room; what with the chance the devil threw in my way, by making her leave the kitchen, I couldn't help sneaking in there, regularly to eat my fill, for it was so delicious, although I meant only to take a taste. I repented afterwards, because I made sure that I must die, and so, more to drive the dread away than to work, I went in to the forge, and, made stout and bold by good feed, I had a turn at the anvil too;-now don't scold me, doctor, pray, for I've been well ever since."-How surprised the smith must have been, you will readily judge from your own surprise, when you are informed that our medical aspirant to fame, smiling as exultingly as he before grinned maliciously, took out his tablets to record the following important memorandum :—“N. B. That, in cases of fever and ague, sour-crout, or rather a good fill of sour-crout and pork, cures both, and most speedily too."

Shortly after the crying wife of an emaciated tailor called him in; and on finding that her husband was dangerously ill from fever and ague, he exclaimed with much self-applause, "Oh! if that's all, I am the only man to perform a rapid cure! to-morrow you shall have him on the board; only make him eat his fill of sour-crout and pork !"-Two days after he boldly walked in,-to find the tailor on the board sure enough, but instead of his shop-board, it was another board on which he was laid out dead. "Wonderful!" exclaimed our doctor, "prodigious! and worth recording!" and taking out his tablets, he inserted therein, the following supplementary N. B. "Sour-crout and pork although good in fever and ague, cures blacksmiths speedily, but kills tailors!-Probatum est."

Much the same is it, in regard to pressing the rifle firmly into the hollow of the shoulder, (and which is more necessary with large balls and charges, and particularly at longer ranges than when firing at less than 200 yards, and with rifles, although heavy in the barrel, yet of small calibre ;) a delicately formed person, an invalid, or a nervous shooter, by such an exertion, besides falling into that great baulk to success, called a "bob," a sort of bow to the explosion, will certainly increase bis tremour, or his quivering, from muscular insufficiency, when first he applies additional exertion. Still he should persevere in a mode to which he cannot all at once expect to become accustomed: perseverance only can confirm his steadiness of holding and of pulling off his lock without an accompanying nod of the head, by old hands called a bob, and which is but too frequent even with the muscular, (equally so a jerk at the trigger) although but rarely observed, and then chiefly when

NO. LXXV.-VOL. XIII.

G

the lock misses fire. The sickly or the deficient in muscle, may therefore fancy that they shoot best, because, confining their observation to small charges, rather than confining the rifle, they let it merely rest upon their hands for aim, whereas a firm application from a muscular am tends even additionally to brace and to steady it, whilst the shooter should steady himself by not dropping the rifle after the pull, but by examining when shooting at a stationary object, if his aim still remains on the object fired at.

As to the application of our rule, and to which Crack takes an objection, all depends upon being either tailor or blacksmith! and we venture to recommend to him to persevere, however nervous he may fancy himself to be, in acquiring the mode what we not only find to be best upon an average, but particularly useful in steadying young beginners, thereby to prevent accidents, such as may result in a variety of ways, besides qualifying the beginner to shoot under any impending storm, or other disadvantages. It is, however, but fair to add, that, in some districts, where quick rifle-shooting is coveted, (Switzerland for instance), a fashion prevails not only to have shorter butts than ours, but to keep them entirely free from the shoulder; wherefore umpires at shooting matches actually pass a rule or stick between the butt and the shoulder whilst aim is being taken: the result is that at 250 and 300 yards they are beaten by our method. With many apologies for my long intrusion, I am, sir, your most obedient servant and entertained Reader, The Author of " Helps and Hints, &c."

Stadium, Cremorne House, Chelsea'

Sir,

To the Editor of the New Sporting Magazine.

HAVING heard various contradictory opinions respecting the best mode of charging and trying the shooting of guns, and being fully aware that it is useless going out with an interested party who wishes to sell his gun, as there are certain tricks practised that make a gun appear much better than it really is, I should feel obliged if some experienced person would answer the following questions, through the medium of the New Sporting Magazine, for the information of myself and others who may be about purchasing guns.-1st., What is a good medium bore of a gun for general use, and what should be its weight.-2nd., What weight of powder and shot, and what sized shot will be found most serviceable for game shooting at various seasons of the year.-3rd., What is the best mode of ascertaining by trial, at a mark or otherwise, whether the gun on trial be a good one as compared with others; stating

if possible what a gun ought to do at a mark with that charge to which a preference is given in the field.-4th., What mode of priming is preferable, whether tube, copper-cap, or any other inventions; with the reasons for preference.--5th., What wadding is best.-6th., Whether cartridges of any sort give any advantage to the shooter, and if so, what description is best?-It might be invidious to say anything about caps, powder and shot, as that would unavoidably lead to names; but if any information can be given upon these or any other subjects, relating to the delightful amusement of shooting, I am persuaded it would give great satisfaction to a numerous class of your readers who, perhaps, only once or twice in their lives purchase a gun, and to whom on that account, information such as I have solicited would be invaluable. TYRO.

PIGEON SHOOTING.

SIR,

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In the last Number of your highly interesting miscellany, page 398; Nimrod, speaking of the pigeon-shooting of Lord Bury at Boulogne, says, he never saw it excelled, even at the Red-house."-" The terms of the match (continues the writer) were these:-20 birds at 21 yards; 20 at 25; 20 at 27: total 60 birds. Lord Bury killed 16 of the first lot; 18 of the second; 14 of the third: total, 48 killed out of 60."

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Your correspondent is very much mistaken if he supposes that the above performance was never excelled at the Red-house;" as it sinks into insignificance compared with those of Capt. Ross and others of the once celebrated Red-house Club. In 1829, Capt. Ross killed 79 birds out of 80, at the distance of 30 yards from the trap; while Mr. Shoubridge and others several times killed 11 out of 12, at the same distance, and Mr. Osbaldeston killed 9 out of 12, at 40 yards. Now, when the greater distances of the latter performances are taken into consideration-and every yard beyond 25 makes a very great difference in the chance of killing-the comparison will be found immeasurably in favour of the gentlemen to which I have just alluded.

At what may be called the renovation of pigeon-shooting, the late silver tea-service affair at the Red-house, several of the performers beat. Lord Bury hollow. The terms were, 18 birds, divided into three days' shooting, 6 each day; at 25, 35, and 45, yards from the trap. Mr. Dafour killed the whole of his birds at the shortest distance, and 5 out of 6, on the second day, at 35 yards. Mr. Brown killed all his birds at 25 yards. Mr. Toby and two other marksmen killed 5 out of 6, at 35 yards: performances greatly superior to those of Lord Bury.

One consideration yet remains:-Did Lord Bury use the patent

cartridge? If he did not, no proper or satisfactory comparison can be made. I have no hesitation in asserting upon the best authority, the evidence of experimental facts, that the cartridge throws its shot so much more regular, and drives it with such increased force, that the loose charge has not the shadow of a chance of equalling it, either at 21 yards from the trap, or any increased distance. The first day of shooting for the silver tea-service (May 31,) Mr. Toby did not use the cartridge and only scored three; he did not altogether miss his birds, but they flew away strongly: he had recourse to the cartridge on the second day, and killed 5 out of 6, as I have already observed. That pigeon-shooting may again become popular is the sincere wish of A FRIEND TO THE TRIGGER.

17th. June.

WILLIAM IV., WHEN DUKE OF CLARENCE, AND THE
BUTCHER'S BOY.

Sir,

THE inclosed anecdote is at your service. I received the particulars from one who heard his late Majesty relate it at the table of George IV; and I have my informant's permission to forward it to you. Your's, obediently.

24th. June.

L.

THE following anecdote was told with great glee by his late Majesty at a dinner party given by George IV. at the Cottage, Windsor-park, in 1827. It is to be observed, that William IV. when Duke of Clarence, used frequently during his residence at Bushy-park, to ride out unaccompanied by any servant. "I was riding in the park the other day," said His Royal Highness, "on the road between Teddington and Hampton-wick, when I was overtaken by a butcher's boy on horseback, with a tray of meat under his arm. Nice pony that of yours, old gentleman,' said he. Pretty fair,' was my reply. • Mine's a good u'n too,' rejoined he; and I'll trot you to Hampton-wick for a pot o' beer.' I declined the match; and the butcher's boy, as he struck his single spur into his horse's side exclaimed, with a look of contempt, I thought you were only a muff!" On the recital of this anecdote, His Majesty George IV and all who were at table laughed outright; which was more than the king could do with propriety in the earlier part of the same day, when he with the greatest difficulty restrained his cachinnatory emotions, on beholding Don Miguel of Portugal introduced between the Duke of Devonshire and the late Marquis of Conyngham-the Don being a dwarf mulatto, and each of his supporters something more than six feet high: "Egad," said the king as he first caught a glance of the Portuguese prince and his conductors, "I always thought that Hercules' pillars had been the supporters of the arms of Spain."