CHAP. VI 
RETURN TO MOMBASA 
121 
the prominent bolt was sufficient to make the breech fly open. 
Nevertheless, I soon found that its shooting powers were 
marvellous, and I was, from the first, particularly successful 
with it against rhinoceroses, of which I killed several—mostly 
with a single bullet each—during the remainder of this trip, 
none of which ran more than a couple of hundred yards after 
receiving the shot. 
Up to this time all my elephant and rhino shooting had 
been done with my double .577. I had been laughed at by 
many for starting on such a hunting trip with no larger rifle, 
but I always was an advocate of small bores, and I am bound 
to say that I believe I used fewer cartridges for the number of 
elephants killed with this weapon than any other I have ever 
tried. Since I got that rifle (a good many years ago) many 
changes and improvements have been made, both in firearms 
and ammunition ; I may say, however,—without presuming to 
lay down any rule for others,—that my experience, with regard 
to bullets, is decidedly in favour of solid, as compared with any 
(what I should call) fancy projectiles. Steel cores or points 
are unsatisfactory : the lead invariably strips in passing through 
any bone—even a rib,—leaving the light steel with little re¬ 
maining momentum. Of course you can kill game with almost 
anything, when you get a favourable chance and make the 
most of it. I remember a native in South Africa showing me 
a rough, cylindrical piece of iron, of his own forging, with which 
he had killed several head of game, including buffalo. It fitted 
loosely into his gun—an old musket. 
In view of the conflicting opinions one meets with on the 
subject of rhinos, perhaps the result of my observations may 
be worth adding here, towards their explanation. I believe 
that, as a general rule, the rhinoceros, like all wild animals, 
runs away from man when he can. Here and there an indi¬ 
vidual may be met with, which, under certain circumstances, 
will charge (and I think the circumstances have more to do 
with it than the individual), apparently without cause. When 
