Problem with Level 4-7

[Ezrabbit]

Gish version: 1.52
Level: 4-7
Platform: Mac OSX 10.4.11

Problem:
In this final level of the "Lost Tombs of Duat" you're supposed to jump the huge lava pool by being fired out of a, for lack of a better word, "cannon".
Sometimes the force of the "shooter" kills you, which isn't nice.
Worse still, sometimes the shooter can crumple Gish.  I'm not sure how, since it happens so fast.  Maybe he gets stuck between the shooter and the body of the cannon.
In this case Gish doesn't die, and you can make him spring back into shape, but he ends up not being shot over the lava.  This is a major problem because the cannon only fires once, and there is no other way to complete the level.  
I lost two lives because I had to restart that level, and the second time was my last life.  Thus, I have to do world 4 all over again because of an in-game glitch.  
Not.  Cool.
Perhaps a patch is in order to at least make the cannon shoot whenever it senses Gish near by?  I know it's possible because there are similar jumping platforms in the game that shoot upwards whenever you climb onto them.
Thanks.
-Ez

EDIT:
Oops, okay my bad.
I didn't realize that the game started you off at the 7th level if you lost all lives there.  Bad assumption on my part.
Still, it might still be worth looking into these cannon misfires, at least in the name of score and life preservation.

[Chronic Logic - Josiah]

Try holding down Jump and Slippery and it will make the cannon launch much smoother.