1 io The Rifle and Hound in Ceylon. 



great that it will generally bring him upon his knees, or 

 at least stop him. It has failed once or twice in this, 

 but not often ; .and upon those occasions I had loaded 

 with the conical ball. This, although it will penetrate 

 much farther thrpugh a thick substance than a round 

 ball, is not so effective in elephant-shooting as the latter. 

 The reason is plain enough. No shot in the head will 

 kill an elephant dead, unless it passes through the 

 brain ; an ounce ball will effect this as well as a six- 

 pound shot ; but there are many cases where the brain 

 cannot be touched, by a peculiar method of carrying 

 the head and trunk in charging, etc. ; a power is thep 

 required that by the concussion will knock him down, 

 or turn him ; this power is greater in the round ball 

 than in the conical, as a larger surface is suddenly 

 struck. The effect is similar to a man being run through 

 the arm with a rapier or thrust at with a poker the 

 rapier will pass through him almost without his know- 

 ledge, but the poker will knock him down. Thus the 

 pointed conical ball will, perhaps, pass through an ele- 

 phant's forehead and penetrate as far as his shoulders, 

 but it will produce no immediate effect. For buffalo- 

 shooting, the conical ball is preferable, as with the 

 heavy charge of powder that I use it will pass com- 

 pletely through him from end to end. A four-ounce 

 ball, raking an animal from stem to stern, must settle 

 him at once. This is a desirable thing to accomplish 

 with wild buffaloes, as they may frequently prove awk- 

 ward customers, even after receiving several mortal 

 wounds from light guns. 



The four-ounce conical ball should be an excellent 

 weapon for African shooting, where the usual shot at 

 an elephant is at the shoulder. This shot would never 



