AN EXPLORATION IN THE FAR EAST. 445 



four drachms, and the larger, *500, shooting five drachms of 

 powder. The first gives a perfectly point-blank range of a 

 hundred and sixty yards, with an extreme effective range of 

 two hundred and fifty ; the latter a point-blank of rather more 

 than two hundred, and an extreme of four hundred. They both 

 shoot with extreme accuracy at these ranges. The smaller 

 weighs seven and a half pounds, and the larger eight and a 

 quarter as a minimum ; though the addition of half a pound to 

 the weight of each gives more steadiness and regular shooting. 



The very great improvement thus effected in the shooting 

 of any one who uses an Express rifle, goes a long way towards 

 compensating for any loss of smashing power in comparison 

 with the old wide-bored rifles. I unhesitatingly therefore 

 recommend the adoption of the '450 or *500 Express for all 

 ordinary purposes. If its greater weight be not objected to, 

 the larger is certainly preferable in every other respect ; but 

 very good work can be done with the smaller bore, and the 

 saving of weight is a great advantage for work in the hills. 



For dangerous game such as tigers there is nothing better 

 yet available for sportsmen than the large rifle firing the 

 spherical ball, or the explosive shell of my invention, which I 

 have described in my former work. This should be at least 

 twelve gauge, and eleven pounds in weight. The application 

 of breech-loading to these rifles renders it possible also to use 

 a spherical or short conical ball with the same rifle, either of 

 which gives flatter trajectory than the shell, and which are 

 preferred to it by some sportsmen. If the shooting is to be 

 from an elephant I think the spherical twelve bore is amply 

 sufficient. This ball, or the short conical hardened with one 

 twelfth part of mercury or tin, with four and a half or fivo, 

 drachms of powder, will also form an excellent charge for 

 buffalo or bison shooting. 



