A little quicksilver has the same effect. Sir Samuel Baker, who
is one of the most experienced sportsmen both in Ceylon and in Africa,
latterly used a mixture of nine-tenths lead and one-tenth quicksilver for
his bullets. He says, "This is superior to all [other] mixtures for that
purpose, as it combines hardness with extra weight; the lead must be
melted in a pot by itself to a red heat, and the proportion of
quicksilver must be added a ladleful at a time, and stirred quickly with
a piece of iron just in sufficient quantity to make three or four
bullets. If the quicksilver is subjected to red heat in the large
leadpot, it will evaporate." Proper alloy, or spelter, had best be
ordered at a gun-maker's shop, and taken from England instead of lead:
different alloys of spelter vary considerably in their degree of
hardness, and therefore more than one specimen should be tried.
Shape of Bullets.--Round iron bullets are worthless, except at very
close quarters, on account of the lightness of the metal: for the
resistance of the air checks their force extremely. Whether elongated
iron bullets would succeed, remains to be Tried. Some savages--as, for
instance, those of Timor--when in want of bullets, use stones two or
three inches long. Some good sportsmen insist on the advantage, for
shooting at very close quarters, of cleaving a conical bullet nearly down
to its base, into four parts; these partly separate, and make a fearful
wound.
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