BOER MARKSMANSHIP. 243 



I counted the bullets supplied daily when we at 

 last got among the buffaloes and shot at no other 

 game. Upon these animals my companion ex- 

 pended fifty-six bullets, of which about fifty were 

 wasted. 



As we shot on foot (on account of the presence 

 of the tsetse-fly), this was very poor work, taking 

 into consideration the abundance of the game, 

 their unusual tameness, and that the locality was 

 admirably adapted to stalking requirements. 



On this occasion, instead of being in one huge 

 mass, the buffaloes were scattered about in more 

 or less small groups all over the country, near the 

 numerous rain pools, and were almost as easy to 

 kill as if they had been domestic cattle. Probably 

 this lot had never before been under fire, as they 

 merely shifted about, instead of quitting the ground 

 en masse as big game usually does when it has 

 smelt powder. 



As I have an aversion to shooting in company, I 

 did not witness my friend's operations, but his 

 Kaffir attendants said that his want of success was 

 occasioned by his predilection for long shots ; and 

 to make a good bag of big game, close quarters 

 and very straight powder are a sine qua non. 



