i THE RIFLE OF A PAST HALF CENTURY 3 



calibre of a gun was No. 14 or 16. A No. 12 was extremely rare. 

 The charge for No. 16 was 2f drams of fine grain powder, and 

 3 drains for No. 12. Accordingly, the light guns, or "fowling- 

 pieces," as they were termed, were severely tested by a charge of 

 6 drams of the strongest powder with a hardened bullet ; never- 

 theless I never heard of any failure. 



At a short range the velocity and penetration of an ounce 

 spherical ball, with the heavy powder charge, were immense, but 

 beyond 50 yards the accuracy was imperfect. 



I believe I was the first to introduce rifles into Ceylon, which 

 were then regarded by the highest authorities in the island as im- 

 practical innovations, too difficult to sight, whereas an ordinary gun 

 could be used with ball more quickly in taking a snap-shot. 



The rifles which I had provided were heavy, the 3 ounce 

 already mentioned, 21 Ibs., and a long 2 ounce by Blisset, 16 Ibs. 

 The latter was a polygroove, the powder charge only 1J dram 

 when I originally purchased it. It was wonderfully accurate at 

 short ranges with the small charge, which I quickly increased to 6 

 drams, thereby losing accuracy, but multiplying velocity. 



Twelve months' experience with elephants and buffaloes decided 

 me to order a battery of double-barrelled rifles, No. 10, two-grooved, 

 with 6 drams of fine grain powder, and spherical belted bullets. 

 These were most satisfactory, and they became the starting-point 

 for future experiments. 



Shortly before the Crimean War, the musket was abolished, 

 and about 1853 the British army was armed throughout with 

 rifles. The difficulty of a military rifle lay in the rapid fouling of 

 the barrel, which necessitated a bullet too small to expand suffi- 

 ciently to fill the grooves ; this resulted in inaccuracy. If the 

 bullet were properly fitted, it became impossible to load when the 

 barrel began to foul after a few discharges. 



At that time I submitted a plan to the authorities which 

 simplified the difficulty, and having left the pattern bullet at 

 Woolwich, it quickly appeared with a slight modification as the 

 "Boxer bullet." My plan designed a cone hollowed at the base. 

 The bullet was a size smaller than the bore, which enabled it to 

 slide easily down the barrel when foul. The hollow base fitted 

 upon a cone of boxwood pointed at the insertion, but broad at the 

 base, which was larger than the diameter of the hollow in the 

 bullet. It may be easily understood that although this compound 

 bullet was smaller than the bore of the rifle, a blow with the 

 ramrod after loading would drive the conical bullet upon the larger 

 diameter of the boxwood coae, which, acting like a wedge, would 



