78 SOUTH AFRICA. 



and if made as 12-bores heavy enough to carry 

 a charge of from 4 to 45^ drams of powder easily, 

 they will kill satisfactorily any and every kind of 

 game animal. A battery consisting of a double 

 rifle of g l / 2 Ib. weight, and one of these ball-and- 

 shot guns of 8 Ib., is an efficient armament for 

 use in any part of the world, and for any kind of 

 game. And here I may remark that the modern 

 craving for very light guns is carried to excess. 

 It surely matters very little to any man of ordinary 

 powers whether he carries a 1 2-bore of 7 Ib. or a 

 little more, or one of 5 Ib. ; and after all the 

 heavier gun is the safer and more efficient. If 

 weight must be reduced, it is better done by 

 shortening the barrels than by a reduction of 

 substance; or, better still, go in for smaller bores. 

 Reverting to the subject of rifles, I would remark 

 that nickel-coated projectiles are in no degree 

 superior to those made of well-hardened lead, 

 except when the pitch of the rifle is excessive and 

 the bore smaller than -450. When such arms are 

 used, the coated bullet is absolutely necessary, as 

 the enormous friction created by the propulsion 

 of a long, slender bullet by means of 40 grains 

 of powder through such tubes would melt or crush 



