io6 Incidents of Foreign F*ield Sport. 



which you can at pleasure throw over your guns, in 

 case of rain, you will the better preserve your wea- 

 pons. Have a few bullets sewn on the lower portion, 

 as they prevent the flaps being blown off the guns. 

 The front of the howdah should not be too high and 

 should be made for the individual who is going to 

 use it. A howdah suitable for a man of six feet two 

 inches would be very inconvenient and uncomfort- 

 able for a man five feet eight inches, and vice versa. 

 When standing up, the elbows should just clear the 

 front bar. For comfort and good shooting a great 

 deal depends on the height of the seat from the floor 

 of the howdah ; it should be sufficiently high to fit 

 inside the bend of the knee, neither more nor less. 

 If less, if the elephant jolts forward suddenly, you 

 are apt to go backwards out of the howdah, and if 

 higher, the edge of the seat rubs against the back of 

 the thighs and causes a sore, and it is apt to throw 

 one forward, whereas if the edge of the seat catches 

 you fairly in the bend of the knee, your body sways 

 to and fro and you feel as if you had a grip, which 

 is not otherwise the case. Four guns for dangerous 

 shooting are requisite ; on either side of the seat, 

 racks are placed of the exact size of the stocks for two 

 guns, and the closer everything fits, and the less 

 rattling you have, the better are your chances of 

 sport. The front bar on which the barrels rest should 

 be of wood, with notches cut into it, lined with felt 

 to fit the gun-barrels, or the browning will soon be 

 worn away. In front, attached to the wooden bar, 

 should be a long box for holding cartridges ; this 

 should also be lined with felt. Have all your rifles or 

 guns of the same bore, and for which the same sized 



