rantee for the truthfulness of the statements which I here subjoin.

[Illustration]

Mr. Stanton, a proprietor of collieries at Newcastle-on-Tyne, conceived
the idea that if a bullet were made to receive the projectile force in
the interior of the bullet, but beyond the centre of gravity, it would
continue its flight without deviation. Having satisfied himself of the
truth of this theory, he sent the mould to the Board of Ordnance on the
20th of January, 1797, and received a reply the following month, stating
that upon trial it was found to be less accurate in its flight and less
powerful in its penetration than the round bullet then in use. They also
informed Mr. Stanton that there were some conical balls in the
repository which had been deposited there by the late Lieutenant-General
Parker, and which, having more solidity, were superior to those sent by
Mr. Stanton, thus proving that the idea of a conical expanding ball is
of very ancient date. The mould sent to the Ordnance by Mr. Stanton was
taken from a wooden model, of which the accompanying is an exact
diagram, and which is in the possession of Mr. Stanton, solicitor, at
Newcastle, the son of the originator. Evidence is afforded that Mr. Boyd
a banker, and Mr. Stanton, sen., both tried the ball with very different
success to that obtained at Woolwich; but this need excite no
astonishment, as every sportsman is aware of the wonderful difference in
the accuracy with which smooth-bored fire-arms carry balls, and for
which no satisfactory reason has ever been advanced. Mr. Kell was
subsequently present when his friend Mr. Stanton, jun., had balls made
on his father's principle for a pair of Wogden's pistols thirty years
ago; the result is reported as satisfactory.

In 1829, Mr. Kell conceived the idea of applying the principle to
rifles, for which purpose he had a mould made by Mr. Thomas Bulcraig.
Mr. Kell altered the original ball in two points; he made the sides
stronger, and he formed the front of the ball conoidical instead of
hemispherical. I have the ball made from that mould now lying before me,
and it is precisely the same as the Minie ball without the iron cup,
which we have shown in the preceding pages is totally unnecessary. This
ball has been constantly in use by Mr. Kell and others until the present
day; it is the first application of a conical expanding ball to rifles
that I can find on record, and whatever credit is due to the person who
transferred