xxii THE PEER 361 



laws for the preservation of the game, which was fast disappearing 

 before the unremitting attacks of man. 



In Ceylon there have been stringent game-laws for many years, 

 but in spite of this undeniable necessity, there are persons who 

 madly clamour against the protection of game in England. The 

 value of a deer-forest in Scotland is many times superior to the 

 annual rental for sheep pasturage. It is absurd to complain that 

 the poor have not the same privilege as the rich ; nobody, unless a 

 professional agitator, envies the rich man his harmless enjoyments, 

 and the fact of wealth being introduced into the wild Highlands 

 brings comfort and employment to many who would otherwise seek 

 their livelihood on foreign shores. 



Nothing can be more enjoyable than deer-stalking in the High- 

 lands. In olden times, when people shot with muzzle-loading 

 rifles and small charges of powder, the shooting was more difficult 

 than in the present day, as the trajectory of the bullet being high, 

 it was necessary to judge the distance accurately, to adjust the 

 back-sights of the rifle. The improvements within the last twenty 

 years have produced the perfection of weapons for deer-stalking in 

 Scotland, as the trajectory of the modern Express is so low that 

 no elevation is required for 150 yards. Practically no other sight 

 is required beyond that of point-blank. 



I mentioned, in the commencement of this work, the name of 

 Purcley as the first inventor of the muzzle-loading Express. This 

 was then called No. 70, as that number of spherical bullets 

 weighed 1 Ib. In those days there were no decimals of the inch 

 to designate the size of a bore, but the relative proportion to the 

 pound was always understood by the number of the calibre. 



A dear friend, the late Sir Edward Kerrison, presented me 

 with a very beautiful Purdey rifle of this calibre, the first Express, 

 which burnt 4 drams of powder, and carried a conical solid two- 

 grooved bullet weighing 200 grains. I considered that rifle 

 perfection for deer-stalking in the Highlands, as it was point-blank 

 for 150 yards merely permitting the natural intelligence of the 

 shooter to take the sight either coarse or fine, according to his 

 estimation of the distance. During the season of 18G8 I was 

 enjoying the hills and hospitality of his Grace the Duke of Suther- 

 land, and afterwards of the late Lord Middleton at Applecross ; I 

 fired at fourteen stags with this Express solid bullet of Purdcy's. 

 The rifle bagged thirteen out of fourteen j and I felt ashamed of 

 myself that the only escape was the first shot fired, at Dunrobin, 

 when, never having previously fired the rifle, the extremely light 

 pull of the trigger deceived me, and it went off by accident, break- 



