292 AMMUNITION 



Ammunition must be fresh. I do not know 

 whether the last year may have produced a cor- 

 dite impervious to the considerable variations 

 of temperature inseparable from the African 

 climate, but I fear not. That the efficiency of 

 one's cordite ammunition is thus varied there can 

 be no shadow of doubt, in fact I have had occasion 

 to observe it on more occasions than one. I 

 would, therefore, impress upon new-comers — and 

 some old ones for the matter of that — ^the ad- 

 visability of conveying as much of the stock of 

 cartridges as possible in their original stout tin- 

 lined ammunition case. On hunting days a 

 sufficiency may be taken out for conveyance in 

 the belts or bags, but on return the remaining 

 rounds should be at once replaced in their original 

 shelter, and not left lying about in the sun, or 

 exposed to unnecessary heat. For road journeys, 

 involved by the shifting of camp, enough am- 

 munition can readily be stowed away in the 

 pockets, or in a small cartridge bag, for all prob- 

 able contingencies ; but a most important con- 

 sideration, and one I fear too frequently neglected, 

 is the golden rule, not of keeping your powder 

 dry, but of keeping your cordite cool. 



Shot-gun ammunition is not nearly so sus- 

 ceptible to temperature, even when loaded with 

 the now almost universally used nitro powders. 

 A tew hundreds of these should be taken loaded 

 with No. 3, No. 6, and AAA shot, the last 

 mentioned in wire cages. Of the three sizes 

 mentioned No. 6 should predominate, for the 

 excellent dove shooting which is often obtainable. 



