30 Sporting Notes in the Far East. 



it is a great nuisance, if pheasants or snipe get up where only 

 duck are expected, and you are solely armed with a heavy double 

 bore. It is then a weapon too ponderous to make any certainty of 

 killing ; especially as you are almost certain to have " bellows 

 to mend " through carrying such a weight of metal, with the 

 accompanying cartridged. 



If about to remain for some time in the East ; bring out your 

 cartridge cylinders empty, and have them loaded as they are 

 required. 



The reason I give is this. On the China station through great 

 changes of latitude, all. sorts of different temperatures are ex- 

 perienced ; ranging from the damp heat of tropics, to the dry clear 

 atmosphere of Russian Tartary, three thousand miles further 

 north. 



It is the damp heat that does the damage ; cartridges will sweat 

 like everything else, and if loaded action will set up ; and should the 

 cap not be effected or the powder baked, it will probably be found 

 that when the gun is fired, the head of the cartridge will come off 

 and remain in the extractor, the other part being blown half way 

 down towards the muzzle ; thereby incapacitating one barrel, till 

 something straight can be procured to work it out with. Of course 

 this only refers to paper cylinders. I would always prefer brass 

 cylinders if it was not for their weight, besides which, the best 

 patterns are quite unprocurable in the East. 



