Besides his matchlock, the soldier carried a powder horn or flask, a ball bag, slow match, a rest, and a sword. The two last changed for a bayonet. In order to accelerate the loading, a large leather belt, called bandolier, was worn over the shoulder. To this were hung twelve wooden cases, each of which contained one charge, with a case of finer powder for priming, and at the lower end a bag for balls. This system was soon found to be inconvenient, as the cases were apt to get entangled in passing through woods, &c. It was therefore abandoned in France in 1684, and the flask resumed. Sir James Turner, speaking of the pistol, says, “All horsemen should always have the charges of their pistols ready in patrons, the powder made up compactly in paper, and the ball tied to it with a piece of pack thread.” In this description we have evidently the cartridge, though not expressed by name. It is a curious fact that these were first confined to the cavalry, and that the general adoption of the cartridge was not earlier than the common use of the modern firelock. The Patron was an upright semi-cylindrical box of steel, with a cover moving on a hinge, filled with a block of wood with five perforations, to hold as many pistol cartridges. ~Earl of Orrery in favour of pouches.~ The Earl of Orrery, in 1677, writes, “I am, on long experience, an enemy to bandoliers, but a great approver of boxes of cartridges for them, as by biting off the bottom of the cartridge, you charge your musket for service with one ramming. I would have these boxes of tin, because they are not so apt to break as the wooden ones are, and do not, in wet weather, or lying in the tents, relax. Besides, I have often seen much prejudice in the use of bandoliers, which are often apt to take fire. They commonly wound, and often kill he that wears them, and those near him, for likely if one take fire, all the rest do in that collar. They often tangle when they have fired, and are falling off by the flanks of the files of the intervals to get into the rear to load again. Their rattling in the night often discovers the designs; and if the weather be windy, their rattling also often hinders the soldier from hearing, and, consequently, obeying the word of command. Whereas the cartridge boxes exempt those who use them from all these dangers and prejudices. They enable the soldier to fire more expeditiously. They are also usually worn about the waist of the soldier, the skirts of whose doublet and whose coat doubly defend them from all rain, that does not pierce both, and being worn close to his body, the heat thereof keeps the powder dryer. Besides all this, whoever loads his musket with cartridges, is sure the bullet will not drop out, though he takes his aim under breast high; whereas those soldiers on service who take the bullets out of their mouths, which is the nimblest way, or out of their pouches, seldom put any paper, tow, or grass, to ram the bullet in, whereby if they fire