HINTS TO BEGINNERS 



heeled boots should be avoided where one very 

 frequently gets extremely close to game before 

 seeing it. I used to get my shooting boots made 

 by a native chuckler. They did not last long, but 

 then they cost only Rs. 4 (about five shillings) per 

 pair, and they were soft and did not gall the 

 feet. 



After a day's shooting in wet weather, boots 

 should be filled with horse-gram, or with oats, to 

 dry the insides by absorption, and be, moreover, 

 well greased outside. If boots used in wet weather 

 should have been allowed to dry and get hard with- 

 out the use of any lubricant, the best emollient is 

 castor oil. The tongues of all shooting boots 

 should be stitched on to the uppers right up to 

 the top. Most sportsmen consider that a brown, 

 canvas-covered Elwood's topee is sufficient pro- 

 tection in forest shooting during the monsoon, but 

 personally I prefer the topee recommended above 

 for use in hill shooting. When wearing one of 

 these in the monsoon, a mackintosh cover to slip 

 over it in the event of rain coming on is very 

 necessary, otherwise the hat will absorb a great 

 amount of water, and will feel nearly as heavy as 

 lead. I have also taken out in my luncheon bag 

 a soft felt "terai" hat, which I have worn when 

 there was no sun (or during rain), exchanging it 

 for my sola topee whenever the sun reappeared, 

 and this is a plan which I can thoroughly recom- 

 mend. Of course, in very wet weather, with a 

 total absence of sun, or in very dense forests, 

 wherein one is always under partial shade, an 

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