72 SOUTH AFRICA. 



attributed them to effects caused by the nature of 

 the action, and not to those incidental to the faulty 

 form of the chamber and the cartridge case, which 

 was, however, a mistaken idea. Most probably 

 a gunmaker with a very keen eye to the sale of 

 cartridges and implements introduced these bottle- 

 necked abominations. That department of the 

 Government entrusted with the selection of the 

 small-arms and ammunition for military equipment 

 has, from all time within living memory, been 

 afflicted with a chronic affection for the time- 

 honoured practice of the art of " how not to do 

 things " in accordance with the rules of common- 

 sense. When old " Brown Bess " was the weapon 

 of the infantry, although the barrel was of excellent 

 form, material, and make, the lock was at least of 

 twice the needful weight, carefully fitted with an 

 impossible trigger, and the stock so shaped as 

 to be quite certain to inflict a very severe blow 

 on the cheekbone of any soldier with nerve enough 

 to try to take aim when firing. The bore of this 

 obsolete weapon was eleven, and it was charged 

 with four and a half drams of powder behind a 

 ball of fourteen, no less, that is, than three sizes 

 too small, the consequences of which were that, 



