Re-reading Bartle Bull's fine "Safari: A Chronicle of Adventure" has me jazzed to put together a hunting outfit that would be roughly correct to the period. Rifle is a Pedersoli Kodiak percussion double in .58 -- I know, much too light for most African DG. We have of course some photos and drawings from the period of Samuel Baker, Gordon Cumming in his kilt, the young Selous. Clothing is not so much the question, but shooting bags, powder horns and other accoutrements are. I know the early ivory hunters often loaded their huge muzzleloaders with handsful of powder scooped on the jog from a cloth bag of same. Can any of you gents from Zim, Namibia or South Africa shed any light here? I don't remember spying any of this stuff when I was in Namibia two years ago, but then I did not have the chance to poke around any antique shops or old gun stores ...

Depends on hunting what? Hunting dangerous game kit generally resembled 'fighting' kit ie. powder bag on left and 'ball bag' on right. In the flintlock erra a powder horn was worn on left side if needed.

For war, a number of .45-50 cal lead balls were tied up in a short piece of sheeps intestine. Powdeer was cooped (by hand) into the barrel and the soft 'bag' of heavy shot (loopers) was dropped down after it. The butt of the rifle was simultaneusly rapped sharply on the ground. The achieved both seating of the buckshot bag, and driving sufficient powder through the flash hole to prime the pan. The horn was in case the gun missfired.

For dangerous game- same plan, except that the 'ball bag' held a collection of large , well greased balls.

Ram rods were seldom bothered with. NB- for dangerous game hunting or war- muskets started at 10g and 8g was probably the most popular.

For hunting plainsgame. Long rifles were in favour...longenough for a man to sit on a horse and reload with the butt on the ground. Magnum magazine has had a few articles on the traditional boer muskets recently (replicas are available).

In this case, powder horn on left, and ball bag with both bullts and pre-greased patches on the right.

The powder and ball bags were generally slung over the shoulder, but secured to the belt as well to stop them swinging arround (just weight out a couple of dozen 4g balls - enough for a day's elephant hunting and you'll appreciate the shoulder strap needed to be pretty good.

A double barreled pistol was favoured by those who could aford it. Pistol typically worn butt forward on left side.

If you dig back theough old African Hunter mags to 'Guns of the Pioneers' There are a couple of good period photographs of the time of the transision to cartridge guns.

Ganyana: Thanks so much for your detailed post. At .58 caliber, I am obviously not thinking dangerous game. For that, one of the Dutch/Boer gauge rifles that Selous so regretted having anything to do with would obviously be the ticket. Regarding horns, I assume that anything from cow/ox horn to kudu or some other indigenous species would have been used. Were there any particular favorites?

The only originals I have ever seen were in the voortreker monument in Pretoria- they are cow horn. The ones used by the black poachers are also mostly cow horn. Kudu horn is reserved for signalling, Wildebeest horn belongs to the witchdockter or chief for 'medicines', nd Impala are mostly used for snuff...although from 1870's onwards until today Martini Henry cartridge cases with a carved hard wood bullet are still the most treasured snuff boxes.

Drop magnum a line and ask to buy all the back issues with something (in english I presume- there have been a couple of good articles in Afrikaans) on the subject in in say the last 5 years...there has been quite alot- and very well researched by genuine enthusiasts (s oposed to regular contributors)...

My collection starts 1856 and goes forward...looking for a monkey tail to go with the original musket for the begining of my collection-

NB- Flint lock remained the firm favourite in Africa until the mid 1850's...and by then the monkey tail was available. Military got the Enfield muskets or national equivalent, but hunters generally switched straight from flint to breechloader. They bought muskets- particularly converted 'brown bess' flintlocks (all marked 'tower') to arm their askari's, camp guards and as spares for back up.

The other option to the monkey tail was a 'cape gun' 12g on one side and .577 on the other- percussion ignition- originally issued to the cape mounted rifles for the 8th kaffir war and caught on where there no elephants or rhino to hunt. Once the cartridge era started cape guns in .577snider and 12g (2 1/2") are common as are ones in Martini and 12g (I have one of the latter). Oddley enough many civilian speccape guns also used 16g for the shotgun. The idea obviously caught on else where in Africa for a friend has one in 11m Mauser and 16g.

The monkey tail was a 'capping breachloader' similar in concept to the sharps (but totally different in operation) that was adopted by the brit cavalry in 1856 and by the boer republics in 1857. It was available in .45 or .52

It was also the issue rifle for the Natal Mounted police until they recived Swinburn Henries.

At the disasterous battle is Isandlwana in 1879 over 50% of the Zulu casualties were in fronmt of Col Durnfords two possitions. His Christian Natal Native horse were all armed with Monkey tail rifles. His European troops (Natal Carbineers, Natal Mounted Police and Buffalo border guard were all armed with either Marnini Henries or Swinburns. The Monkey tails were not subject to the accuracy loss of the martini as fouling didn't build up in them, and Durnfors had coached his colonial troops to run a pull through through their rifles every 5 rounds to keep the accuracy reasonable.

600 british regulars supported by artilery inflicted the same casualties as 350 Native Horse and 80-90 colonials...Also, the best trained troop of Native horse withdrew intact from the fight before they ran out of ammo and the entire troop (120men) made it safely to helpmakar that evening. The other 4 troops of native horse fought alonside Durnford until all ammo was spent and then ran for it- most died along the way. The colonial troops recieved some spare ammo and took up a possition with Durnford to try and hold the key possition in the camp- they ran out of ammo... But it says alot for the Monkey tail that Durnford- an experienced colonial officer who had a choice of arms for his own native horse cose the monkey tail for them- the regular Natal Native infantry were issued with Martini Henries.

At Majuba two years later the shot that killed the british 2IC (Rommily)- and helped ensure defeat- was fired at a range of about 900 yards -aledgedly from a Monkey tail! He even commented "look sir- that fellow has just fired at us-uurg!"

Pitty nobody makes replicas. They are a pain to make cartridges for but they are an African classic.

Ganyana: I wish the existing monkey tails weren't so bloody expensive. I believe Ross Seyfried used one from his collection to kill an elk on his ranch here in Oregon. If I can find the article, would you be interested in a copy? If so, I would be most happy to send you one.
By the way, just re-discovered the White Smoke Web site in SA, and it is loaded with information on 19th-century weapons and hunting kit, with a focus on that used by the Voertrekkers. Great stuff!

Also found a thread on the replica Boer muskets, coming from the Delhi Gun House. As Ganyana said -- 10 gauge -- with a club butt like the Hudson Valley Dutch fowlers in the early colonial era here. They call these flint smoothies bobbejaanbouds. Not sure about the translation from Afrikaans!

"a 'cape gun' 12g on one side and .577 on the other- percussion ignition- originally issued to the cape mounted rifles for the 8th kaffir war"

Beg you pardon for jumping in,
So the capeguns was a military gun?
Thanks
Martin

Yup- cape gun was a colonial military order- used standard paper cartriges for the enfield musket in the rt barrel and 8 LG pellets (.360") on top of 3.5 drammes black in the left.

Caught on very quickly with gentleman hunters as something suitable for both fir and feather on ones estate...of course civilian guns often had some type of patent choke and the shot barrels were intended for bird shot.

Bill- Bobbejaanboud - baboons hip- a discription of the funny shape of the butt

Thank you very much, I alway thougt that was an sporting gun from the begining.
Where can I find pictures or more info? Magnum magazine?
Thanks again.
Martin

The hardest part will be finding fifty porters, each of whom will carry fifty pounds of gear, for wages of three shillings per day.

Bill/ Mrlexma - porters...

I had an older friend who said that when he made his first million in spare cash he was going to properly offend his relatives in the U.K.

When I was doing my masters he came and asked if I had 7 black friends with a sense of Humor...I did and the deal was arrange.

Nigel arrived at Heathrow and wondered through to the arrival area where he was being met by many family members- most of whom hadn't seen him in more than 20 years... He was dressed appropriately- safari suit with long socks up to the knees, monicle, pith helmet...He was followed by 7 'bare footed natives, wearing leopard skin loin cloths and carrying his suitcases on their heads....

He achieved the pure and unadulterated outrage that he wanted... the seven 'porters' soon put down the 'baggage' (most of it was theirs anyway) and got changed and went off for a holiday in the UK- Nigel had paid their air fares if they would play along for half an hour or so...I belive it made national TV

Bill / Oregon,

It is called a Bobbejaan boud - Direct translation - the butt of the rifle looked like a Baboons hind leg / ass...

Bushwack: Thanks for the explanation!
Ganyana: I'd love to see footage of that Heathrow incident ...