RIFLES AND AMMUNITION 189 



the defects common to all black-powder large- 

 bore rifles, viz. weight (13 lbs.), inaccuracy 

 beyond short distances, heavy recoil, and last, 

 but not least, a cloud of smoke which, after 

 firing, enveloped the shooter. This nearly got 

 me into serious trouble on two occasions with 

 elephants, and once was the means of losing 

 me, for the time being, a rogue elephant which 

 I had been after for days. There was another 

 objection in connexion with this rifle, viz. that 

 its ammunition could only be purchased from 

 the maker of the rifle. On going home to 

 England on leave, I decided, not without a 

 struggle, to sell the 10-bore, which I had become 

 fond of as a trusty companion on many a trip 

 after big game, and to purchase in its place one 

 of the new high-velocity rifles of which I had 

 heard so much. So I parted with the dear old 

 weapon which had done me so well, and which 

 at the time of selling it was in as good a con- 

 dition as when newly purchased. 



While in England I went to one or two of 

 the leading rifle makers, but was confronted 

 with the difficulty with regard to cartridges 

 which had caused me so much bother and 

 expense with the 10-bore. The makers declined 

 to supply rifles to take Kynoch's or Eley's cases. 

 The reason alleged was that the importance 

 of a rifle cartridge being absolutely reliable 

 was so great that the rifle makers did not care 



