'The views and opinions of Brigadier General John Jacob, CB. Aide-decamp to the Queen; Aide-de-camp to the Governor General of India, &c. &c. &c.; late commanding in chief the British forces in Persia; at present commanding the Sind Irregular Horse, and Political Superintendent of the North-West frontier of Sind.' [‎249] (280/481)

249
For the first few rounds, the shells struck near the foot
of the butt; but as the morning brightened, the practice
improved, and many shells in succession struck close over
and around the box,—so close, indeed, that to the naked
eye they appeared actually to strike it. The practice was
steadily and deliberately continued, but the powder still
remained untouched, till Colonel Jacob's little double rifle
had been fired twenty times. The last few shots from this
rifle were all very near to the box, and, when fired for the
twenty-first time, the shell from the second barrel struck
the box and exploded the powder. The effect was magni
ficent, the distance being so great, and the charge in the
box so heavy. So violent was the explosion, that it was
thought at first that the butt wall had been blown down;
bat when the smoke cleared, the wall was seen standing
uninjured. This wall is built of stone, ten feet thick at the
base and one and a half at top, is 100 feet long and 50
feet high. A large portion of surface near the powder-box
was a good deal shattered, but the damage was only super
ficial, and the butt was not seriously injured.
Throughout the practice at Kurrachee, no rest of any
kind was used. The rifles were always fired from the
shoulder, the shooter standing up.
On further examination, it appeared that a large portion
of the surface of the butt wall, about twenty feet square,
was blown in to a depth of nine inches, and that the back
of the wall near the base had bulged three inches.
PENETRATION OF JACOB'S IRON-POINTED RIFLE RALLS.
At Kurrachee, on the 26th September 1856, a 24-gauge
iron-pointed ball, fired with a charge of 2^ drachms of
powder at a distance of twenty-five yards, penetrated clean