itates against the use of
this bullet.

[Illustration: FIG. 40.--Jeffreys modification of Mauser. The bullet is
in the possession of Mr. C. S. Wallace. It perforated the abdomen and
caused death. The bullet is only slightly shortened by bulging at the
shoulder]

[Illustration: FIG. 41.--1. Section of Mark IV. Lee-Metford. Note
thickness of mantle and exposed core at base. 2. Soft-nosed Mauser. Note
solid base. Short pattern]

Fig. 41 represents sections of the soft-nosed Mauser, and the British
Mark IV. bullet, and shows the different method of closure of the base.
If the former remarks on the influence of the closed base in maintaining
the stability of the bullet be correct, Mark IV. should be a very
destructive bullet. I have no experience of its use, but I am inclined
to think that here, as elsewhere, the thickness and resistance of the
cupro-nickel mantle would endow it with considerable stability, unless
it met with very great resistance.

[Illustration: FIG. 42.--Types of Bullets tampered with by the Boers in
the trenches. 1 and 3. Cross-cut tips, Martini-Henry and Lee-Metford. 2.
Groove cut at base of exposed tip of Lee-Metford. Another modification
of the Martini-Henry consisted in boring it longitudinally and inserting
a wooden plug]

In connection with the subject of soft-nosed bullets, I should mention
that the Boers occasionally extemporised various modifications of them,
such as are shown in fig. 42, with intent to increase the wounding power
of the projectiles. I am unable, however, to give any information as to
the effects produced by these, and I do not think they were often
employed. The illustrations are from cartridges found in trenches which
had been occupied for some time by the Boers, who had no doubt used
their spare time in exercising their ingenuity on the bullets.

'Explosive' bullets of small calibre were also said to have been
employed; with regard to these I can only say that I never met with any
example of a hollow bullet containing explosive material.

One officer in a Colonial corps who spoke freely about them, told me he
had 'sawn' them in half and found the cavities, but the method of
investigation he had employed seemed against the presence of any
fulminant in the body of the bullets. Others based their statements on
the fact that they had frequently heard the bullets burst in the air;
but this is probably to be explained by the breaking up of regulation
bullets on impact with