340 THROUGH SOMALILAND AND ABYSSINIA 
bullets should be about 10 per cent of hardened, solid bullets. They may 
be very useful in finishing off heavy game. 
When after thick-skinned game, such as elephant or rhino, I think 
the Lee- Met ford would be a useful rifle, provided a quiet head-shot could 
be obtained with the animal standing still, both barrels of the double 
eight-bore being kept in reserve for use if it should get into motion. 
Although I have always believed in large-bore rifles, I think there is a 
great future in store for the small-bores of the Lee-Metford class, having 
a long bullet and plenty of powder. Although the section is so small, 
the great remaining velocity of the Lee-Metford bullet causes a consider- 
able shock to the animal, especially if the latter has been standing end- 
on, and the bullet has raked forward for some distance. I consider the 
Lee-Metford about the best rifle for beisa-sliooting in uninhabited country, 
and have in my latter trips had great success with it. I used the ordinary 
military cartridge. 
With each of the sporting rifles there should be a strong magazine bag, 
which can be slung over any of the laden camels. Half the spare am- 
munition should be carried in this way, while the rest of all the sporting 
battery should be packed in one box, weighing about 50 lbs. Several 
leather or canvas haversacks should be made to carry food and small 
articles. 
For the Snider carbines I recommend that for a six weeks’ trip thirty 
rounds per man be carried in the belts, with a few rounds of buckshot for 
the use of sentries ; besides this belt-ammunition, about fifty rounds per 
man should be in a box, and some blank ammunition for skirmishing 
drill and complimentary displays. If it is proposed to give the men 
much ball practice while in the interior, more ball ammunition should be 
taken. I recommend an hour of target practice once a week, in some- 
deep river-bed with precipitous banks, if the men are to be of any use as 
an escort. A pair of compasses, a bundle of thin lathes, a dozen screws 
and a screw-driver, half a quire of cartridge paper, packet of drawing 
pins, and some ink pellets, are all that is required to be taken to make 
good targets. When the men have been well grounded in ball practice 
it will be interesting to pile up stones to the height of a man and bring 
them down with a crashing volley at a hundred yards. The men take a 
lively interest in the shooting and drill, and a list should be kept of good, 
bad, or indifferent shots, so that the fact may be endorsed on their written 
characters when they are dismissed at the coast. 
Some form of hand camera is invaluable. I suggest that no large 
camera be used, nor chemicals, but that small photographs be taken with 
the hand camera and developed and enlarged on return to England. 
AVhen ordering clothes it should be remembered that Somaliland can 
be extremely hot and also very cold. I recommend that thin “khaki” 
drill be the usual costume, and that a good thick ulster be taken for cold 
night-marches or for sitting up over a “kill.” A few pairs of red rubber 
or cotton-soled shoes are useful for stalking koodoo and other game in- 
habiting stony ground. Above all, a really good sun-hat is a necessity. 
Information regarding the cost of passages to and from Aden can be 
obtained at any shipping offices, so I will merely remark that it takes 
about three weeks to get to Aden from London by sea, or about thirteen 
days if advantage be taken of the overland train to Brindisi. But in the 
latter case only a small hand-bag could be taken, baggage having previ- 
