CAMPING W C8AMBA. 495 



inside 400 yards within easy shot. He became frantically excited when nearing 

 game, and at first could not refrain from touching me, and urging me to fire, 

 when I was trying my level best to take steady aim. This is not a very 

 laudatory account of my worthy gilly ; but in spite of these defects, which a 

 a month of my society considerably toned down, he was serviceable, being a 

 keen and willing fellow, and if I went there again I would take him on 

 rather than fly to ills I know not of. Some of the shikaries come up as far 

 as Dalhousie to get employment, but I think it is better to reach Chamba 

 before finally engaging one, unless you have had some special man recom- 

 mended to you. I had nothing to do with the Chamba Chamars (taxider- 

 mists) ; they are said to be far inferior to the Srinagar men. I believe they 

 can cure skins passably, however, but they seem to use lime and other 

 pernicious things. 



Now as to armament. There is no doubt that smokeless powder confers 

 an immense advantage. Many a time have I been able to get in a second and 

 fatal shot at a bewildered gooral with smokeless powder, when with black 

 powder the animal would have been going full speed away. I used a Mannli- 

 cher rifle and do not wish for a better weapon. It has only to be held steady 

 and it will kill thar or bears at ranges when the 500 Express would go wide, 

 say 250 to 350 yards. The only drawback is that it is troublesome to clean. 

 To do this, hang the rifle up by the stock, and having removed the " bolt," 

 put a cloth plug in the chamber. Use several brushes ; wash out first re- 

 peatedly with warm water and a little washing soda ; after drying carefully 

 lubricate with the " Rifle oil for cordite " sold by Treacher & Co. I see that 

 acetone has been recommended for removing cordite fouling. I have not 

 tried it. Military men will probably prefer the *303. A capital sporting "303 

 may be improvised by fitting Lyman back-sight and Beach foresight on the 

 " Martini-Metford " carbine that can still be had at some Government arsenals 

 for about Rs. 60. The split Jeffery bullets are quite satisfactory. The shock 

 of the Mannlicher bullet is very great, and animals seemed to go over at once 

 if hit at all fairly. Jeffery's advertisement of these rifles appears frequently 

 in the Times of India and Messrs. King, King and Co. keep supplies of Mannli- 

 cher cartridges. In April and following months the game birds are nesting 

 and it is useless to take a shot gun, unless one that takes ball, as a second rifle, 

 for following up a wounded bear. Three bears that I shot with the Mannlicher 

 were killed almost instantaneously ; a fourth was hit too low down, and got 

 away. My first bear I killed with the 500 Express. He took five shots. To 

 say nothing of the climbing saved, I am quite certain that the great accuracy, 

 diminished recoil, increased range, smashing power, and absence of smoke, of 

 the Mannlicher, enabled me to get double as many animals as I should have 

 done with the Express burning 5 drams of black powder. The report of the 

 little rifle too, is different from that of the older weapons, and seemed to 

 puzzle animals at times. 



