Shot and Slugs.—­Travellers frequently omit to take enough shot, which is a great mistake, as birds are always to be found, while large game is uncertain:  besides this, shot gives amusement; and ducks, quails, and partridges are much better eating than antelopes and buffaloes.  It must be borne in mind, that a rifle will carry shot quite well enough, on an emergency.  Probably No. 7 is the most convenient size for shot, as the birds are likely to be tame; and also because a traveller can often fire into a covey or dense flight of birds—­and the more pellets, the more execution.  If birds are to be killed for stuffing, dust-shot will also be wanted; otherwise, it is undoubtedly better to take only one size of shot.

Shot is made in manufactories, as follows:—­Arsenic is added to the lead, in the proportion of from 3 lbs. to 8 lbs. of arsenic to 1000 lbs. of lead.  The melted lead is poured through cullenders drilled with very fine holes, and drops many feet down, into a tub of water; 100 feet fall is necessary for manufactories in which No. 4 shot is made; 150, for larger sorts.  If the shot turns out to be lens-shaped, there has been too much arsenic; if hollow, flattened, or tailed, there has been too little.  Pewter or tin is bad, as it makes tailed shot.  The Shot are sorted by sieves; bad shot are weeded out, by letting the shot roll over a slightly-inclined board, then the sho that are not quite round roll off to the side.  Lastly, the shot is smoothed by being shaken up in a barrel with a little black-lead.

Slugs are wanted both for night-shooting and also in case of a hostile attack.  They can be made by running melted lead into reeds, and chopping the reeds into short length; or by casting the lead in tubes made by rolling paper round a smooth stick:  whether reeds or paper be used, they should be planted in the ground before the lead is poured in.  The temperature of the lead is regulated by taking care that a small quantity of it remains unmelted in the ladle, at the moment of pouring out:  if it be too hot it will burn the paper. (See “Lead.”)

HINTS ON SHOOTING.

When lying down.—­Loading.—­Put in the powder as you best can, and ram the bullet home, lying flat on your back, with the barrel of the gun athwart your breast.  It is easy to load in this way with cartridges.

On Horseback.—­Loading.—­Empty the charge of powder from the flask into the left hand, and pour it down the gun; then take a bullet, wet out of your mouth, and drop it into the barrel, using no ramrod; the wet will cake the bullet pretty firmly in its right place.

Firing.—­“In firing, do not bring the gun to your shoulder; but present it across the pommel of the saddle, calculating the angle with your eye, and steadying yourself momentarily by standing in the stirrups, as you take aim.” (Palliser.) In each bound of the horse, the moment when his fore legs strike the ground is one of comparative steadiness, and is therefore the proper instant for pulling the trigger.