chap. vi. UTILITY- OF THE FOUR-OUNCE. 119 



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 

 answer in Ceylon ; the country is not sufficiently open 

 to watch the effects produced upon the animal, and 

 although he may have a mortal wound, he carries it 

 away with him and is not bagged. I have frequently 

 tried this shot ; and, although I have seen the 

 elephants go away with ears and trunk drooping, 

 still I have never bagged more than one by any but the 

 head shot. This fellow was a small ' tusker,' who 

 formed one of a herd in thick thorny jungle. There 

 were several rocks in this low jungle which overtopped 

 the highest bushes ; and having taken my station 

 upon one of these, I got a downward shot between the 

 shoulders at the tusker, and dropped him immediately 

 as the herd passed beneath. The jungle was so 

 thick that I could not see his head, or, of course, 

 I should have chosen the usual shot. This shot was 

 not a fair criterion for the shoulder, as I happened to 

 be in a position that enabled me to fire down upon 

 him, and the ball most likely passed completely 

 through him. 



I remember a curious and unexpected shot that I 

 once made with the four-ounce rifle, which illustrates 

 its immense power. I was shooting at Minneria, and 

 was returning to the tent in the afternoon, having had 

 a great day's sport with buffaloes, when I saw a large 



