An Essay On Shooting 1789.

An Essay On Shooting 1789, with a new introduction by W.S. Curtis. The copy I have is a reprint by The Richmond Publishing Company England.



It contains a lot of interesting information, and also the lack of, eg there is no mention of priming horns being used, which means that the priming horn is a new invention. This led me to look further than this book, and it seems that the small horns that have been found are now believed to be pistol horns, not priming horns as previously believed.

Unpatched Balls in a Smoothbore.

I have suspected for some time that patching was not used in the 18th century for smoothbores, and I have read that even rifles were loaded without patches. Recently a friend, David Schmid, posted the following information on the group forum.

To Shrimpton Hutchinson Esq.

SIR,
You are hereby ordered and directed, to compleat yourself with ARMS and Accoutrements, by the 12th Instant, upon failure thereof, you are liable to a FINE of THREE POUNDS; and for every Sixty Days after, a FINE OF SIX POUNDS, agreable to Law.


Articles of Equipment,
A good Fire-Arm, with a Steel or Iron Ram-Rod, and a Spring to retain the same, a Worm, Priming wire and Brash, and a Bayonet fitted to your GUN, a Scabbard and Belt therefor, and a Cutting Sword, or a Tomahawk or Hatchet, a Poach containing a Cartridge Box, that will hold fifteen Rounds of Cartridges at least, a hundred Buck Shot, a Jack-Knife and Tow for Wadding, six Flints, one pound powder, forty Leaden Balls fitted to your GUN, a Knapsack and Blanket a Canteen or Wooden Bottle sufficient to hold one Quart.



"...it is the General's orders, that none of the men load with cartridges upon their regimental parades but from these powder-horns; and to have wadding above and below the ball, to keep both powder and ball firm in their pieces."

~ John Knox, Point Levi, 1759, (Knox, 295)


"...discharged his piece at him the ball Enterd About an Inch from the middle of his back...the very wad Enterd the wound."

~ John McKay, Rainy Lake, Minnesota, 1793 (J. McKay,17)


"The Yellow Head landed, during the morning, to fire at a deer, which was seen grazing on a meadow, at some distance. He approached cautiously, but was unsuccessful in the shot he fired. What most excited our surprise, was the rapidity with which he reloaded and fired again, before the deer had got without the range of his shot. This was effected without the use of wadding to separate the powder from the ball."

~ Henry Rowe-Schoolcraft, Minnesota, 1832 (Schoolcraft 1834, page 65)

From Diderot.

Rendezvous Time Again In Victoria!

This is a photo of my very close friend Le Loup Gris, Richard Snape. We have not seen each other for quite some time now and it does not look like I will catch up with him at this years Rendezvous either!!! More is the pitty because I miss him like a lost good English gun flint, there is no replacement like the real thing!

(Richard Snape on the game trail along Beaver Creek. Photo by Kevin).

Southern Cross Free Trappers
Incorporated in Vic. # A0049526N
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Vol. 19, September 2009
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You’ve waited all year for this…

Sept 19th/20th thru to 26/27th Primitive Rendezvous at Beaver Creek, Whorouly.Take a break from the mundane and live the past eras of your dreams. Main events are Sat 19th / Sun 20th when Glen & Jim will guide for a Mountain Man Hunt, but why not add a full week of relaxing camp life among friends below that big old Mt Buffalo?