8 into the shoulder of an elephant
that had just climbed the bank and gained the island. I now had a
glorious opportunity of a shoulder-shot at every animal as it should
ascend the steep incline.
My ammunition was exhausted! My servant, Suleiman, had sent the little
bag that contained only one reload for the breech-loaders, and no
powder flask or shells for the half-pounders. I had now the annoyance of
witnessing the difficult ascent of the elephants in single file,
exposing their flanks in succession to the shoulder-shot, while I
remained a helpless looker-on.
I had thus bagged only two out of eleven, but these were killed at very
long shots (about 110 yards).
The half-pounder rifles were the same calibre and pattern as that
described in "The Nile Tributaries of Abyssinia" as "the Baby." These
were made by Mr. Holland of Bond Street, and are the most overpowering
rifles I ever used. They were certain to kill the elephant, and to half
kill the man who fired them with twelve drachms of fine-grain powder. I
was tolerably strong, therefore I was never killed outright; but an Arab
hunter had his collar-bone smashed by the recoil, when the rifle was
loaded with simple coarse-grain powder. If he had used fine grain, I
should hardly have insured his life.
