An Experiment with the Magazine Rifle. 113 



the bastion from wliicli the rifle was fired. Captain 

 Capper, renowned in the B.B.P. for his skill as a 

 rifle shot, fired at this distant and certainly not 

 large object. All his shots were observed through 

 the telescojDe to go very close to the ox. The 

 afternoon was clear, there was no wind. At the 

 twentieth shot the animal fell like a mass, and 

 remained perfectly motionless. AVe momited our 

 horses and rode out to examine the carcass. The 

 bullet, which had slain the ox so instantaneously, 

 had entered the nape of the neck rather high behind 

 the ear, passing doAvnwards, severing the spinal 

 cord, and emerging lower do"wn the neck nearer 

 the shoulder on the other side. We observed that 

 the animal had also been struck by another bullet, 

 wliicli had penetrated the middle of his side, passed 

 across the body somewhat upAvards, emerging just 

 under the hump on the other side, injuring the 

 intestines and other vital parts. This small bullet 

 had produced no apparent immediate effect on the 

 animal, who had duiino- the firino- been under the 

 observation of the strongest telescopes, and was 

 not observed to start or even to make a movement 

 till the last bullet struck him. I asked Captain 

 Capper what he thought of the Aveapon for accu- 

 racy : he told me he thought he would have made 

 more accurate practice with the Martini-Henr}', 

 but this he attributed to the method of sighting- 

 adopted for the magazine rifle, which he strongly 

 condemned. I think he rather liked the rifle on 

 the whole. On the other hand, I fancy I may 

 state that the balance of opinion was not favour- 



I 



