▁can non ▁and ▁guns . ▁He ▁often ▁all ud ed ▁to ▁progress ▁in ▁efficiency , ▁accuracy ▁and ▁distance ▁brought ▁by ▁techn ological ▁adv anc ements ▁from ▁m uzz le ▁to ▁bre ach ▁loading ▁and ▁the ▁internal ▁rif ling ▁of ▁bar rel s . ▁He ▁sketch ed ▁a ▁history ▁of ▁military ▁weapon ry ▁in ▁his ▁poem ▁The ▁Sn ider ▁and ▁often ▁pra ised ▁the ▁virt ues ▁of ▁that ▁British ▁army - issue ▁rif le ▁in ▁defence ▁of ▁the ▁Empire . ▁He ▁author ed ▁under ▁his ▁pen ▁name ▁Alg on quin , ▁a ▁ 3 0 - page ▁history ▁of ▁his ▁sport ing ▁life ▁and ▁the ▁evolution ▁of ▁guns : ▁From ▁the ▁Fl int lock ▁to ▁the ▁Ham mer less . ▁For ▁his ▁ 2 5 th ▁anni versary ▁as ▁C ler k , ▁Ott awa ▁City ▁Council ▁presented ▁L ett ▁with ▁a ▁high - quality ▁f ow ling ▁piece ▁( a ▁cho ke - b ore ▁hunting ▁rif le ), ▁manufact ured ▁by ▁W . W . ▁Gre ener ▁( of ▁B irmingham , ▁England ). ▁ ▁L ett ▁also ▁ref ere ed ▁sports ▁and ▁was ▁still ▁doing ▁it ▁for ▁row ing ▁events ▁in ▁his ▁old ▁age ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 8 , ▁much ▁as ▁he ▁had ▁done ▁on ▁the ▁first ▁Domin ion ▁Day . ▁ ▁Hero ▁One ▁Sunday ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁spring ▁of ▁ 1 8 8 1 , ▁a ▁boy ▁named ▁Louis ▁Rob ill ard ▁t ipped ▁from ▁a ▁boat ▁into ▁the ▁Ott awa ▁River ▁beside ▁the ▁Queen ' s ▁Wh