ft WILD BEASTS AND THEIR WAYS CRAP. 



subject given by the renowned General Wolfe (who was subsequently 

 killed at the siege of Quebec) to the 20th Regiment, of which he 

 was Colonel, when England was hourly expecting an invasion by 

 the French : ..." There is no necessity for firing very fast ; 

 ... a cool well-levelled fire with the pieces carefully loaded is 

 much more destructive than the quickest fire in confusion." At 

 Canterbury, 17th December 1755. 



This instruction should be sternly impressed upon the minds of 

 all soldiers, as it is the text ujion which all admonitory addresses 

 should be founded. It must not be forgotten that General Wolfe's 

 advice was given to men armed with the old muzzle-loading Brown 

 Bess (musket), which at that time was provided with a lock of 

 flint and steel. Notwithstanding the slowness of fire necessitated 

 by this antiquated weapon, the General cautioned his men by the 

 assurance, " There is no necessity for firing very fast," etc. etc. 



The breechloader is valuable through the power which exists, 

 especially with repeating rifles, for pouring in an unremitting fire 

 whenever the opportunity may offer, but under ordinary circum- 

 stances the fire should be reserved with the care suggested by the 

 advice of General AVolfe. 



Small-bores have become the fashion of the day, and for military 

 purposes they are decidedly the best, as a greater amount of 

 ammunition can be carried by the soldier, while at the same time 

 the range and trajectory of his weapon are improved. The new 

 magazine rifle adopted by the Government is only -303, but this 

 exceedingly small diameter will contain 70 grains of powder with a 

 bullet of hard alloy weighing 216 grains. 



For sporting purposes the small-bore has been universally 

 adopted, but I cannot help thinking that, like many other fashions, 

 it has been carried beyond the rules ot common sense. 



When upon entering a gunmaker's shop the inexperienced 

 purchaser is perplexed by the array of rifles and guns, varying in 

 their characters almost as much as human l>eings, he should never 

 listen to the advice of the manufacturer until he has asked himself 

 what he really requires. 



There are many things to be considered before an order should 

 be positively given. What is the rifle wanted for? What is the 

 personal strength of the purchaser 1 ? In what portion of the world 

 is he going to shoot 1 Will he be on foot, or will he shoot from 

 horseback or from an elephant? Will the game be dangerous, or 

 will it IK* confined to deer, etc. ? 



Not only the weapon but the ammunition will depend upon a 

 reply to these questions, and the purchaser should strongly resist 



