Above photo is one of the items I purchased at auction and collected on Monday. It's a..................... No, on second thoughts do any of my readers know (or guess) what it's purpose is? Their use was made illegal in 1827.
P.s. This is by way of being an experiment to see if I've solved the problem of illustrating the blog. It appears to be working.
17 comments:
Slavery was made illegal in 1827 wasn't it? Any connection?
I think you're right Rog, but no, no connexion.
How did you fix your Picasa problem? Have no clue as to what that is.
Hello Lori. Well, I'm not entirely sure that I've 'fixed' the problem, but you comment and Zoe's made me start to try and think my way through it, and I think I've managed to open another folder for photoes. In fact I'll try and put up another photo from Picasa and see.
Sorry, Lori. Problem not fixed. Back to the drawing board.
Is it some sort of gin-trap? I'd have thought that was banned later, but it's all I can think of.
Closish Zoe, although I didn't know gin traps had been banned?
It appears to be a trip-wire operated flintlock gun for fixing to a post beside a poacher's favourite pathway.
I was tempted to use the word 'gonne' in view of its apparent venerable antiquity.
Crowbard has got fairly near to it. His description of it as a tripwire operated flintlock blunderbuss is quite correct. It's purpose was to 'discourage' poachers. It's usual name is a trap gun, although in its day it would have been known as a spring gun. If, about the year 1800, you were a sporting landowner, and found your preserves were being raided by poachers, you had your gamekeepers set up several spring guns and a mantrap or so, and provided you'd also put up a notice saying something like 'Private Property - Man traps and Spring Guns set' then it was considered that miscreants had had fair notification, and you'd done the sporting thing. Mostly they were fitted to at least two trip wires. The gun works on a swivel, so that if anyone tripped over the wire the gun swivelled towards them and fired. They are also known as alarm guns, so that the 'keepers would know poachers were about, but their purpose was somewhat more sinister than that. Their use, together with man traps was banned by a Game Act of 1827.
Crowbard has got fairly near to it. His description of it as a tripwire operated flintlock blunderbuss is quite correct. It's purpose was to 'discourage' poachers. It's usual name is a trap gun, although in its day it would have been known as a spring gun. If, about the year 1800, you were a sporting landowner, and found your preserves were being raided by poachers, you had your gamekeepers set up several spring guns and a mantrap or so, and provided you'd also put up a notice saying something like 'Private Property - Man traps and Spring Guns set' then it was considered that miscreants had had fair notification, and you'd done the sporting thing. Mostly they were fitted to at least two trip wires. The gun works on a swivel, so that if anyone tripped over the wire the gun swivelled towards them and fired. They are also known as alarm guns, so that the 'keepers would know poachers were about, but their purpose was somewhat more sinister than that. Their use, together with man traps was banned by a Game Act of 1827.
It looks as though you've cleared that little 'memory cache null' problem Mike - I see my comment and your response have emerged from the stygian depths of the virtual-regions.
My guess would also have been some sort of trip wire - activated anti intruder device. Sadly, my internet access at work doesn't let me see the word verification, so I couldn't post earlier. Do I still get a prize?
Hello Crowbard. Ah, that it were so. I'll give you a ring sometime in the near future and see if you can do your usual magic trick of talking me through the problem.
Hello, Sir Bruin. You do indeed share the great credit of a correct answer with Crowbard. I would not, of course, dream of insulting my readers with any sort of sordidly material prize.
You know what the Mikado said after being given a bribe - "Ah, another insult; and, I fear, a light one."
Sir Bruin,
I am doubly honoured to share the honours with your esteemed good-self... We must make a virtue of a virtual prize, albeit infinitely lighter than the Tenno's bribe.
Pootau's v-word is 'jetsu'...
I think she means we might get a better prize if we applied a little ju-jitsu perhaps?
Hello Crowbard. If you and Sir Bruin are planning to gang up and use ju-jitsu on me to try and get a measly prize, then I am just going outside to fix up a man trap and spring gun or so to welcome you both.
Otherwise warm regards, Mike.
Thank you dearest brother for the warm regards - forgive me if I decline the somewhat hotter reception!
In the true spirit of perjurious subreption and mendacious guile I strongly deny all knowledge of any subversive plots against you by Pootatu or Sir Bruin.
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