Sandgrouse Shooting. 81 



Although these birds gave such good sport and were, 



besides, a very welcome addition to the wiry fowls and 



an occasional, and always aged sheep or goat which we 



obtained from the natives, the shooting of them was by 



no means a pleasure. The great dry heat of the 



Soudanese summer injured almost everything we 



possessed, and the effect it had upon the white powder 



with which our cartridges were loaded produced most 



trying results. I was told by an expert at home 



that the extreme dryness of the atmosphere withdraws 



the moisture from the powder and so causes a too rapid 



explosion. The fulminate in the cap of the cartridge is 



affeicted in the same way, and, as a consequence, all the 



powder is probably ignited at once, a great deal of gas 



is generated, and a considerable explosion occurs. The 



result is extremely uncomfortable and annoying. After 



shooting 10 or 12 cartridges one becomxCS quite deaf, and 



the recoil of the gun makes a painful bruise. 



Moreover, a strong heavy gun after a time was so 



damaged as to become dangerous to use. We found that 



the explosion was much more violent after the cartridges 



had been carried in the sun for some hours, and also 



after several shots had been fired in quick succession. 



Metal and glass exposed to the sun were always burning 



hot, and after a few shots had been fired quickly a gun 



f2 



