Give us an opinion on that." "Wal, sur," cocking his eye at it, "I'm free to confass I naver saw anything like it;" and that was all we could get out of him.
"Bring some ammunition, and let's give it a trial," said Kit.
I brought up the powder-flask, caps, and a couple of bullets.

The bullets we had run for it were of lead, about an inch in diameter, and weighed not far from six ounces apiece.

The breech was depressed.
Raed poured in half a gill of the fine powder by measurement; a wad of paper was rammed down; then a bullet was driven home.

There only remained to prime and cap it.
"Fire at one of these seals," suggested Wade, pointing to where a group of three or four lay basking on an ice-cake at a distance of eight or ten hundred yards.
"Who'll take the first shot ?" said Kit.
Nobody seemed inclined to seize the honor.
"Come, now, that seal's getting impatient!" cried the captain.
Still no one volunteered to shoot off the big rifle.
"I think Wash had better fire the first shot," remarked Raed.

"The honor clearly belongs to him." Seeing they were a little disposed to rally me on it, I stepped up and cocked it.