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MY SOMALI BOOK 



one of these bullets has passed " with enormous 

 friction at inconceivable pace through a rifle barrel, 

 and issues from the muzzle at between 2000 to 3000 

 feet velocity," the exposed lead " must be reduced to 

 fluid, and fluid in an open envelope." He goes on, 

 " This is how I explain the fact that when a lion is 

 hit in the face with one of these bullets at close range, 

 if the bullet is not deflected, it often goes to pieces, 

 and nothing is to be found of lead save faint splashes, 

 and only a bit of light twisted metal envelope is dis- 

 covered, not far in, and out of the line of the original 



line of entry. I have twice seen charging lions hit in 

 the face at five yards with such projectiles, and in both 

 cases the lion might just as well have been missed." 



The suggested explanation is interesting, if not 

 entirely convincing. As I understand it, it applies 

 only to very short ranges, the lead solidifying with 

 extreme rapidity on exposure to the air (the case 

 would be different where a bullet breaks up after 

 impact owing to the resistance being too great for its 

 stability). If the theory is correct, we have here a 

 defect inherent in all soft-nosed H.V. bullets when used 

 at extremely close quarters : a defect that does not 

 exist in the capped bullet, which should under any 



