4 
IVILD BEASTS AND THEIR WAYS 
CHAP. 
of the weapon should be in due proportion to the 
strain of the explosion. 
When I first visited Ceylon in 1845, there were 
several renowned sportsmen who counted their slain 
elephants by many hundreds, but there were no 
rifles. Ordinary smooth-bore shot-guns were the 
favourite weapons, loaded invariably with a double 
charge of powder and a hardened ball. In those 
days the usual calibre of a gun was No. 14 or 16. 
A No. 12 was extremely rare. The charge for No. 
16 was 2f drams of fine grain powder, and 3 
drams for No. 12. Accordingly, the light guns, 
or “fowling-pieces,” as they were termed, were 
severely tested by a charge of 6 drams of the 
strongest powder with a hardened bullet; neverthe¬ 
less I never heard of any failure. 
At a short range the velocity and penetration of 
an ounce spherical ball, with the heavy powder 
charge, were immense, but beyond 50 yards the 
accuracy was imperfect. 
I believe I was the first to introduce rifles into 
Ceylon, which were then regarded by the highest 
authorities in the island as impractical innovations, 
too difficult to sight, whereas an ordinary gun could 
be used with ball more quickly in taking a snap-shot. 
The rifles which I had provided were heavy, the 
3 ounce already mentioned, 21 lbs., and a long 2 
ounce by Blisset, 16 lbs. The latter was a poly¬ 
groove, the powder charge only il dram when I 
originally purchased it. It was wonderfully accurate 
at short ranges with the small charge, which I quickly 
