114 Men, Mines, and Animals in South Africa. 



able to the weapon. All pronounced it very com- 

 plicated ; all doubted whether it was a practical 

 weajDon for a common soldier. The method of 

 half-cocking the arm, the arrangement and spiing 

 of the magazine, the short cleaning rod, the poor 

 and weak bayonet, received nothing but condem- 

 nation. One officer, jDerfectly entitled to give an 

 opinion, said he would like the rifle without the 

 magazine. I thought this the most damaging 

 oi^inion I had yet heard given. I am confident 

 that all were unanimous that if they had to fight 

 for their lives they would choose the IVIartini- 

 Henry in pi'oference to the new magazine, but 

 this judgment, definite and unqualified as it was, 

 is j^erhaps discounted by the notorious human 

 prejudice in favour of what is accustomed to and 

 against change and novelty. This discount, more- 

 over, is strongly supported by the equally notori- 

 ous fact that at the time of the introduction of the 

 Martini-Henry into the service, high military and 

 high expert opinion leaned heavily towards a 

 preference for the ancient Snider. Again, on the 

 other hand, the defects of the new rifle are great and 

 glaring even to eyes by no means exj)ert, and to 

 minds not trained in mechanics. The uses it will 

 be subjected to, the hands in which it will be 

 placed, cannot luixe received real practical atten- 

 tion. Impossible perfection has been sought after 

 irrespective of matter-of-fact practical common- 

 j^lace considerations. Personally I venture to sum 

 up the question by the remark that it is one of 

 extreme dilficulty ; that if I were Secretary of 



