28 WITH BOAT AND GUN IN THE YANGTZE VALLEY. 



PIG SHOOTING. 



The White-whiskered Boar {Sus leucomystax). 



It is with considerable diffidence that one touches on a sport that has never been 

 prosecuted with any great vigour, success or continuity in this part of the world. In the early 

 days the only sportsman who ever made a science of pig shooting was the late Mr. Farquhar 

 Carnie of Chinkiang. Within the last few years, however, enterprising gunners have retaken 

 to the arduous sport, as will be seen in a later chapter, and happily have met with a certain 

 measure of success. Mr. Farquhar's weapon was a rifle of old date and himself his sole 

 companion. Starting away in advance, he would take up a position near the summit of a hill, 

 and then give the signal for his beaters, usually two (seldom three), to work up to him. Pig 

 do not of choice rush into thick and unknown cover, but surmount a hill by some well-known 

 track. The gun, aware of this, must often have got a shot at very close quarters. But pig 

 are getting scarce. Increasing reclamation and cultivation of waste lands, a ceaseless pouring 

 in of squatters from both the Ningpo district and the Yangtze Valley, and the large rewards 

 offered by the provincial officials, have combined to drive back the whilom frequent pig into 

 his mountain fastnesses, far away inland. It is an open question whether very much sport 

 was ever found in the pursuit of this animal. In an organized beat the guns were usually 

 placed in position by the two or three native sports who accompanied them, and then a crowd 

 of beaters, more or less large according to the expected largesse, commenced beating and 

 shouting towards the guns. But as often as not the man who has been lucky enough to bag 

 his pig has "happened " quite unexpectedly on his quarry. The China wild boar often attains 

 an enormous weight, sometimes exceeding 400 lbs., but a more common weight is from 200 to 

 300 lbs. As to the weapon best suited for the successful pursuit of this sport there will 

 probably be some variety of opinion, though it is difficult to imagine a better than a good 

 cylinder l2-bore shot-gun, loaded with a Macleod hardened bullet and 2/^ drams of 

 powder. An objection to rifles is the constant alteration of the sights, necessitated by any 

 movement in a hilly country, alterations which after all can be but matters of conjecture, 

 and consequently of uncertainty. Still, all kinds of weapons have been brought into 

 requisition in the prosecution of this sport — Metford, Maynard, Reilley, Mortimer, Enfield, 

 and Winchester rifles. Of these the repeating Winchester would appear to be the favourite. 

 " Express rifles, unless they throw a solid bullet, are of little use, as after impact with bone 

 the conical bullets split up like shot," and so may only wound, and not stop, a strong 

 animal. An ordinary cylinder gun is good enough nowadays for the off chance of a shot. 

 When the days of camping out shall be inaugurated, then will be time enough to turn 

 attention to the last improvements in rifles, and the most efficacious charge for the 

 destruction of big game. 



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