560 ikinss of tfoe 1Rot>, IRffle, anfc (Bun 



greatest elephant-hunter that ever lived. His success 

 was largely owing to the great bodily strength which 

 enabled him to use rifles which no ordinary man would 

 dare to fire from the shoulder. His favourite weapon 

 was a single rifle 36 inches in the barrel, weighing 21 Ibs., 

 and carrying a 4-oz. bullet with a charge of 16 drams of 

 powder. Next to this in favour came a long double 

 rifle, weighing 16 Ibs., carrying a 2-oz. bullet with a 

 charge of 12 drams of powder. The first-named weapon 

 was made by Gibbes according to a design supplied by 

 Baker, and the inventor thus describes his experience 

 with it : 



" An extraordinary success attended this rifle, which 

 became my colossal companion for many years in wild 

 sports with dangerous game. It will be observed that 

 the powder-charge was one-third the weight of the 

 projectile, and not only a tremendous crushing power 

 but an extraordinary penetration was obtained, never 

 equalled by any rifle that I have since possessed." 



But it is obvious that only a man of powerful and 

 massive build could have used such a weapon. To say 

 nothing of the weight, the shock from the discharge of 

 1 6 drams of powder must have been tremendous, enough 

 to shake an ordinary man to pieces. Of the stopping 

 power of this colossal rifle I shall quote several examples ; 

 of its penetrative power it is sufficient to say that on 

 one occasion, at a distance of nearly 800 yards, it 

 sent its 4-oz. bullet completely through a buffalo bull, 

 crushing both hip-joints. Twice, with a single bullet 

 from this rifle, Baker killed two buffaloes, the projectile 

 passing clean through the shoulders of the first and 



