To give a person an interest in the sport, the country must be described

minutely. The plain already mentioned as the flat table-land first seen

on arrival, is about five miles in length, and two in breadth in the

widest part. This is tolerably level, with a few gentle undulations, and

is surrounded, on all sides but one, with low, forest-covered slopes.

The low portions of the plains are swamps, from which springs a large

river, the source of the Mahawelli Ganga.

From the plain now described about fifteen others diverge, each

springing from the parent plain, and increasing in extent as they

proceed; these are connected more or less by narrow valleys, and deep

ravines. Through the greater portion of these plains, the river winds

its wild course. In the first a mere brook, it rapidly increases as it

traverses the lower portions of every valley, until it attains a width

of twenty or thirty yards, within a mile of the spot where it is first

discernible as a stream. Every plain in succession being lower than the

first, the course of the river is extremely irregular; now a maze

of tortuous winding, then a broad, still stream, bounded by grassy

undulations; now rushing wildly through a hundred channels formed by

obtruding rocks, then in a still, deep pool, gathering itself together

for a mad leap over a yawning precipice, and roaring at a hundred feet

beneath, it settles in the lower plain in a pool of unknown depth; and

once more it murmurs through another valley.

In the large pools formed by the sudden turns in the river, the elk

generally takes his last determined stand, and he sometimes keeps dogs

and men at bay for a couple of hours. These pools are generally about

sixty yards across, very deep in some parts, with a large shallow

sandbank in the centre, formed by the eddy of the river.

We built a hunting bivouac in a snug corner of the plains, which gloried

in the name of 'Elk Lodge.' This famous hermitage was a substantial

building, and afforded excellent accommodation: a verandah in the front,

twenty-eight feet by eight; a dining-room twenty feet by twelve, with

a fireplace eight feet wide; and two bed-rooms of twenty feet by eight.

Deer-hides were pegged down to form a carpet upon the floors, and the

walls were neatly covered with talipot leaves. The outhouses consisted

of the kennel, stables for three horses, kitchen, and sheds for twenty

coolies and servants.

The fireplace was a rough piece of art, upon which we prided ourselves

extremely. A party of eight persons could have sat before it with

comfort. Many a roaring fire has blazed up that rude chimney; and dinner

being over, the little round table before the hearth has steamed forth a

fragrant attraction, when the nightly bowl of mulled port has taken its

accustomed stand. I have spent many happy hours in this said spot; the

evenings were of a decidedly social character. The day's hunting over,

it was a delightful hour at about seven P.M.--dinner just concluded, the

chairs brought before the fire, cigars and the said mulled port. Eight

o'clock was the hour for bed, and five in the morning to rise, at which

time a cup of hot tea, and a slice of toast and anchovy paste were

always ready before the start. The great man of our establishment was

the cook.

This knight of the gridiron was a famous fellow, and could perform

wonders; of stoical countenance, he was never seen to smile. His whole

thoughts were concentrated in the mysteries of gravies, and the magic

transformation of one animal into another by the art of cookery; in this

he excelled to a marvellous degree. The farce of ordering dinner was

always absurd. It was something in this style: 'Cook!' (Cook answers)

'Coming, sar!' (enter cook): 'Now, cook, you make a good dinner; do

you hear?' Cook: 'Yes, sar; master tell, I make.'--'Well, mulligatawny

soup.' 'Yes, sar.'--'Calves' head with tongue and brain sauce.'

'Yes, sar.'--' Gravy omelette.' 'Yes, sar.'--'Mutton chops.'

'Yes, sar.'--'Fowl cotelets.' 'Yes, sar.'--'Beefsteaks.' 'Yes,

sar.'--'Marrow-bones.' 'Yes, sar.'--'Rissoles.' 'Yes, sar.' All these

various dishes he literally imitated uncommonly well, the different

portions of an elk being their only foundation.

The kennel bench was comfortably littered, and the pack took possession

of their new abode with the usual amount of growling and quarrelling for

places; the angry grumbling continuing throughout the night between the

three champions of the kennel--Smut, Bran, and Killbuck. After a night

much disturbed by this constant quarrelling, we unkennelled the hounds

just as the first grey streak of dawn spread above Totapella Peak.

The mist was hanging heavily on the lower parts of the plain like a

thick snowbank, although the sky was beautifully clear above, in which

a few pale stars still glimmered. Long lines of fog were slowly drifting

along the bottoms of the valleys, dispelled by a light breeze, and day

fast advancing bid fair for sport; a heavy dew lay upon the grass, and

we stood for some moments in uncertainty as to the first point of our

extensive hunting-grounds that we should beat. There were fresh tracks

of elk close to our 'lodge,' who had been surveying our new settlement

during the night. Crossing the river by wading waist-deep, we skirted

along the banks, winding through a narrow valley with grassy hills

capped with forest upon either side. Our object in doing this was to

seek for marks where the elk had come down to drink during the night, as

we knew that the tracks would then lead to the jungle upon either side

the river. We had strolled quietly along for about half a mile, when the

loud bark of an elk was suddenly heard in the jungle upon the opposite

hills. In a moment the hounds dashed across the river towards the

well-known sound, and entered the jungle at full speed. Judging the

direction which the elk would most probably take when found, I ran along

the bank of the river, down stream, for a quarter of a mile, towards a

jungle through which the river flowed previous to its descent into the

lower plains, and I waited, upon a steep grassy hill, about a hundred

feet above the river's bed. From this spot I had a fine view of the

ground. Immediately before me, rose the hill from which the elk had

barked; beneath my feet, the river stretched into a wide pool on its

entrance to the jungle. This jungle clothed the precipitous cliffs of

a deep ravine, down which the river fell in two cataracts; these were

concealed from view by the forest. I waited in breathless expectation of

'the find.' A few minutes passed, when the sudden burst of the pack in

full cry came sweeping down upon the light breeze; loudly the cheering

sound swelled as they topped the hill, and again it died away as they

crossed some deep ravine. In a few minutes the cry became very distant;

as the elk was evidently making straight up the hills; once or twice I

feared he would cross them, and make away for a different part of the

country. The cry of the pack was so indistinct that my ear could barely

catch it, when suddenly a gust of wind from that direction brought down

a chorus of voices that there was no mistaking: louder and louder the

music became; the elk had turned, and was coming down the hill-side at

a slapping pace. The jungle crashed as he came rushing through the

yielding branches. Out he came, breaking cover in fine style, and away

he dashed over the open country. He was a noble buck, and had got a

long start; not a single hound had yet appeared, but I heard them

coming through the jungle in full cry. Down the side of the hill he came

straight to the pool beneath my feet. Yoick to him! Hark forward to him!

and I gave a view halloa till my lungs had well-nigh cracked. I had lost

sight of him, as he had taken to water in the pool within the jungle.

One more halloa! and out came the gallant old fellow Smut from the

jungle, on the exact line that the elk had taken. On he came, bounding

along the rough side of the hill like a lion, followed by only two

dogs--Dan, a pointer (since killed by a leopard), and Cato, a young dog

who had never yet seen an elk. The remainder of the pack had taken

after a doe that had crossed the scent, and they were now running in

a different direction. I now imagined that the elk had gone down the

ravine to the lower plains by some run that might exist along the edge

of the cliff, and accordingly I started off along a deer-path through

the jungle, to arrive at the lower plains by the shortest road that I

could make.

Hardly had I run a hundred yards, when I heard the ringing of the bay

and the deep voice of Smut, mingled with the roar of the waterfall, to

which I had been running parallel. Instantly changing my course, I was

in a few moments on the bank of the river just above the fall. There

stood the buck at bay in a large pool about three feet deep, where the

dogs could only advance by swimming. Upon my jumping into the pool, he

broke his bay, and, dashing through the dogs, he appeared to leap over

the verge of the cataract, but in reality he took to a deer-path

which skirted the steep side of the wooded precipice. So steep was the

inclination that I could only follow on his track by clinging to the

stems of the trees. The roar of the waterfall, now only a few feet on my

right hand, completely overpowered the voices of the dogs wherever they

might be, and I carefully commenced a perilous descent by the side of

the fall, knowing that both dogs and elk must be somewhere before me. So

stunning was the roar of the water, that a cannon might have been fired

without my hearing it. I was now one-third of the way down the fall,

which was about fifty feet deep. A large flat rock projected from the

side of the cliff, forming a platform of about six feet square, over

one corner of which, the water struck, and again bounded downwards. This

platform could only be reached by a narrow ledge of rock, beneath which,

at a depth of thirty feet, the water boiled at the foot of the fall.

Upon this platform stood the buck, having gained his secure but

frightful position by passing along the narrow ledge of rock. Should

either dog or man attempt to advance, one charge from the buck would

send them to perdition, as they would fall into the abyss below. This

the dogs were fully aware of, and they accordingly kept up a continual

bay from the edge of the cliff, while I attempted to dislodge him by

throwing stones and sticks upon him from above.

Finding this uncomfortable, he made a sudden dash forward, and, striking

the dogs over, away he went down the steep sides of the ravine, followed

once more by the dogs and myself.

By clinging from tree to tree, and lowering myself by the tangled

creepers, I was soon at the foot of the first fall, which plunged into

a deep pool on a flat plateau of rock, bounded on either side by a

wall-like precipice.

This plateau was about eighty feet in length, through which, the water

flowed in two rapid but narrow streams from the foot of the first fall

towards a second cataract at the extreme end. This second fall leaped

from the centre of the ravine into the lower plain.

When I arrived on this fine level surface of rock, a splendid sight

presented itself. In the centre of one of the rapid streams, the buck

stood at bay, belly-deep, with the torrent rushing in foam between his

legs. His mane was bristled up, his nostrils were distended, and his

antlers were lowered to receive the dog who should first attack him. I

happened to have a spear on that occasion, so that I felt he could not

escape, and I gave the baying dogs a loud cheer on. Poor Cato! it was

his first elk, and he little knew the danger of a buck at bay in such a

strong position. Answering with youthful ardour to my halloa, the young

dog sprang boldly at the elk's face, but, caught upon the ready antlers,

he was instantly dashed senseless upon the rocks. Now for old Smut, the

hero of countless battles, who, though pluck to the back-bone, always

tempers his valour with discretion.

Yoick to him, Smut! and I jumped into the water. The buck made a rush

forward, but at that moment a mass of yellow hair dangled before his

eyes as the true old dog hung upon his cheek. Now came the tug of

war--only one seizer! The spring had been so great, and the position of

the buck was so secure, that the dog had missed the ear, and only held

by the cheek. The elk, in an instant, saw his advantage, and quickly

thrusting his sharp brown antlers into the dog's chest, he reared to

his full height and attempted to pin the apparently fated Smut against

a rock. That had been the last of Smut's days of prowess had I not

fortunately had a spear. I could just reach the elk's shoulder in time

to save the dog. After a short but violent struggle, the buck yielded up

his spirit. He was a noble fellow, and pluck to the last.

Having secured his horns to a bush, lest he should be washed away by the

torrent, I examined the dogs. Smut was wounded in two places, but not

severely, and Cato had just recovered his senses, but was so bruised as

to move with great difficulty. In addition to this, he had a deep wound

from the buck's horn under the shoulder.

The great number of elk at the Horton plains and the open character of

the country, make the hunting a far more enjoyable sport than it is

in Newera Ellia, where the plains are of much smaller extent, and the

jungles are frightfully thick. During a trip of two months at the Horton

Plains, we killed forty-three elk, exclusive of about ten which the pack

ran into and killed by themselves, bringing home the account of their

performances in distended stomachs. These occurrences frequently happen

when the elk takes away through an impervious country, where a man

cannot possibly follow. In such cases the pack is either beaten off, or

they pull the elk down and devour it.

This was exemplified some time ago, when the three best dogs were nearly

lost. A doe elk broke cover from a small jungle at the Horton Plains,

and, instead of taking across the patinas (plains), she doubled back

to an immense pathless jungle, closely followed by three

greyhounds--Killbuck, Bran, and Lena. The first dog, who ran beautifully

by nose, led the way, and their direction was of course unknown, as the

dogs were all mute. Night came, and they had not returned. The next day

passed away, but without a sign of the missing dogs. I sent natives to

search the distant jungles and ravines in all directions. Three days

passed away, and I gave up all hope of them. We were sitting at dinner

one night, the fire was blazing cheerfully within, but the rain was

pouring without, the wind was howling in fitful gusts, and neither

moon nor stars relieved the pitchy darkness of the night, when the

conversation naturally turned to the lost dogs. What a night for the

poor brutes to be exposed to, roaming about the wet jungles without a

chance of return!

A sudden knock at the door arrested our attention; it opened. Two

natives stood there, dripping with wet and shivering with cold. One had

in his hand an elk's head, much gnawed; the other man, to my delight,

led the three lost dogs. They had run their elk down, and were found by

the side of a rocky river several miles distant--the two dogs asleep

in a cave, and the bitch was gnawing the remains of the half-consumed

animal. The two men who had found them were soon squatted before a

comfortable fire, with a good feed of curry and rice, and their skins

full of brandy.

Although the elk are so numerous at the Horton Plains, the sport at

length becomes monotonous from the very large proportion of the does.

The usual ratio in which they were killed was one buck to eight does.

I cannot at all account for this small proportion of bucks in this

particular spot. At Newera Ellia they are as two or three compared

with the does. The following extract of deaths, taken from my game-book

during three months of the year, will give a tolerably accurate idea of

the number killed:

1852.

March 24. Doe. . Killed in the Elk Plains.

30. Two Does. Killed in Newera Ellia Plain.

April 3. Doe. . Killed at the foot of Hack Galla.

5. Buck. . Killed at the foot of Pedro.

8. Doe. . Killed at the top of the Pass.

13. Buck. . Killed at the foot of the Pass.

16. Buck. . Killed in the river at the Pass.

19. Doe. . Killed on the patinas on Badulla road.

21. Buck. . Killed in the river at the base of Pedro.

23. Buck. . Killed in Matturatta Plain.

25. Doe. . Killed in the Elk Plains.

25. Sow. . Killed in the Elk Plains.

27. Boar. . Killed at the Limestone Quarry.

May 3. Sow. . Killed in the Elk Plains.

6. Two Does. Killed in the Barrack Plain.

10. Two Does. One killed in the Barrack Plain, and

the other at the bottom of the Pass.

12. Buck. . Killed in Newera Ellia Plain.

19. Buck. . Killed in the Newera Ellia River.

22. Doe. . Killed at the Pioneer Lines-Laboukelle.

31. Two does. Killed in the Barrack Plain.

June 5. Buck. . Killed at the foot of Pedro.

8. Buck. . Killed in the Barrack Plain.

11. Two Bucks. Killed on Kicklamane Patina.

24. Two Does. Killed on Newera Ellia Plain.

28. Boar. . Killed on Elk Plains.

29. Doe. . Killed at the ' Rest and be Thankful bottom

Total--28 Elk (11 Bucks, 17 Does), and 4 Hogs.

This is a tolerable show of game when it is considered that the sport

continues from year to year; there are no seasons at which time the game

is spared, but the hunting depends simply on the weather. Three times

a week the pack turns out in the dry season, and upon every fine day

during the wet months. It must appear a frightful extravagance to

English ideas to feed the hounds upon venison, but as it costs nothing,

it is a cheaper food than beef, and no other flesh is procurable in

sufficient quantity. Venison is in its prime when the elk's horns are in

velvet. At this season, when the new antlers have almost attained their

full growth, they are particularly tender, and the buck moves slowly and

cautiously through the jungle, lest he should injure them against the

branches, taking no further exercise than is necessary in the search of

food. He therefore grows very fat, and is then in fine condition.

The speed of an elk, although great, cannot be compared to that of the

spotted deer. I have seen the latter almost distance the best greyhounds

for the first 200 yards, but with this class of dogs the elk has

no chance upon fair open ground. Coursing the elk, therefore, is a

short-lived sport, as the greyhounds run into him immediately, and a

tremendous struggle then ensues, which must be terminated as soon

as possible by the knife, otherwise the dogs would most probably be

wounded. I once saw Killbuck perform a wonderful feat in seizing. A buck

elk broke cover in the Elk Plains, and I slipped a brace of greyhounds

after him, Killbuck and Bran. The buck had a start of about 200 yards,

but the speed of the greyhounds told rapidly upon him, and after a

course of a quarter of a mile, they were at his haunches, Killbuck

leading. The next instant he sprang in full fly, and got his hold by

the ear. So sudden was the shock, that the buck turned a complete

somersault, but, recovering himself immediately, he regained his feet,

and started off at a gallop down hill towards a stream, the dog still

hanging on. In turning over in his fall, the ear had twisted round,

and Killbuck, never having left his hold, was therefore on his back,

in which position he was dragged at great speed over the rugged ground.

Notwithstanding the difficulty of his position, he would not give up his

hold. In the meantime, Bran kept seizing the other ear, but continually

lost his hold as the ear gave way. Killbuck's weight kept the buck's

head on a level with his knees; and after a run of some hundred yards,

during the whole of which, the dog had been dragged upon his back

without once losing his hold, the elk's pace was reduced to a walk. With

both greyhounds now hanging on his ears, the buck reached the river, and

he and the dogs rolled down the steep bank into the deep water. I

came up just at this moment and killed the elk, but both dogs were

frightfully wounded, and for some time I despaired of their recovery.

This was an extraordinary feat in seizing; but Killbuck was matchless in

this respect, and accordingly of great value, as he was sure to retain

his hold when he once got it. This is an invaluable qualification in

a dog, especially with boars, as any uncertainty in the dog's hold,

renders the advance of the man doubly dangerous. I have frequently seen

hogs free themselves from a dog's hold at the very moment that I have

put the knife into them; this with a large boar is likely to cause an

accident.

I once saw a Veddah who nearly lost his life by one of these animals.

He was hunting 'guanas' (a species of large lizard which is eaten by all

the natives) with several small dogs, and they suddenly found a large

boar, who immediately stood to bay. The Veddah advanced to the attack

with his bow and arrows; but he had no sooner wounded the beast than he

was suddenly charged with great fury. In an instant the boar was into

him, and the next moment the Veddah was lying on the ground with his

bowels out. Fortunately a companion was with him, who replaced his

entrails and bandaged him up. I saw the man some years after; he was

perfectly well, but he had a frightful swelling in the front of the

belly, traversed by a wide blue scar of about eight inches in length.

A boar is at all times a desperate antagonist, where the hunting-knife

and dogs are the only available weapons. The largest that I ever

killed, weighed four hundredweight. I was out hunting, accompanied by my

youngest brother. We had walked through several jungles without success,

but on entering a thick jungle in the Elk Plains we immediately noticed

the fresh ploughings of an immense boar. In a few minutes we heard the

pack at bay without a run, and shortly after a slow running bay-there

was no mistake as to our game. He disdained to run, and, after walking

before the pack for about three minutes, he stood to a determined bay.

The jungle was frightfully thick, and we hastily tore our way through

the tangled underwood towards the spot. We had two staunch dogs by our

side, Lucifer and Lena, and when within twenty paces of the bay, we gave

them a halloa on. Away they dashed to the invisible place of conflict,

and we almost immediately heard the fierce grunting and roaring of the

boar. We knew that they had him, and scrambled through the jungle as

fast as we could towards the field of battle. There was a fight! the

underwood was levelled, and the boar rushed to and fro with Smut, Bran,

Lena, and Lucifer all upon him. Yoick to him! and some of the most

daring of the maddened pack went in. The next instant we were upon him,

mingled with a confused mass of hounds, and throwing our whole weight

upon the boar, we gave him repeated thrusts, apparently to little

purpose. Round came his head and gleaming tusks to the attack of his

fresh enemies, but old Smut held him by the nose, and, although the

bright tusks were immediately buried in his throat, the staunch old dog

kept his hold. Away went the boar covered by a mass of dogs, and

bearing the greater part of our weight in addition, as we hung on to the

hunting-knives buried in his shoulders. For about fifty paces he tore

through the thick jungle, crashing it like a cobweb. At length he again

halted; the dogs, the boar, and ourselves were mingled in a heap of

confusion. All covered with blood and dirt; our own cheers added to the

wild bay of the infuriated hounds and the savage roaring of the boar.

Still he fought and gashed the dogs right and left. He stood about

thirty-eight inches high, and the largest dogs seemed like puppies

beside him; still not a dog relaxed his hold, and he was covered with

wounds. I made a lucky thrust for the nape of his neck. I felt the point

of the knife touch the bone; the spine was divided, and he fell dead.

Smut had two severe gashes in the throat, Lena was cut under the ear,

and Bran's mouth was opened completely up to his ear in a horrible

wound. The dogs were completely exhausted, and lay panting around their

victim. We cut off the boar's head, and, slinging it upon a pole, we

each shouldered an end and carried it to the kennel. The power of this

animal must have been immense. My brother's weight and mine, together

being upward of twenty-four stone, in addition to that of half-a-dozen

heavy dogs, did not appear to trouble him, and had we not been close

to the spot when he came to bay, so that the knives came to the instant

succour of the dogs, he would have most probably killed or wounded half

the pack.

In this wild and rough kind of sport, the best dogs are constantly most

seriously wounded, and after a fight of this kind, needles and thread

and bandages are in frequent requisition. It is wonderful to see

the rapid recovery of dogs from wounds which at first sight appear

incurable. An instance occurred a short time ago, when I certainly gave

up one of the best dogs for lost. We had found a buck, who after a sharp

run, came to bay in a deep part of the river known by the name of

Black Pool. My youngest brother* {* James Baker, late Lieut.-Colonel

of Cambridge University Volunteers.} (who is always my companion

in hunting) and I were at some distance, but feeling certain of the

locality of the bay, we started off at full speed towards the supposed

spot. A run of a mile, partly through jungle leading into a deep wooded

ravine, brought us to the river, which flowed through the hollow, and

upon approaching the water, we distinctly heard the pack at bay at some

distance down the stream. Before we could get up, the buck dashed down

the river, and turning sharp up the bank, he took up the hill through

a dense jungle. Every hound was at fault, except two, who were close at

his heels, and being very fast they never lost sight of him. These two

dogs were Merriman and Tiptoe; and having followed the whole pack to

their track, we soon heard them in full cry on the top of the high hills

which overlook the river; they were coming down the hill-side at full

speed towards the Black Pool. Hiding behind the trees lest we should

head the buck, who we now heard crashing towards us through the jungle,

we suddenly caught a glimpse of his dun hide as he bounded past us, and

splashed into the river. A few seconds after, and Tiptoe, the leading

hound, came rushing on his track, but to our horror HE WAS DRAGGING HIS

ENTRAILS AFTER HIM. The excitement of the chase recognised no pain, and

the plucky animal actually plunged into the river, and in spite of his

mangled state, he swam across, and disappeared in the jungle on the

opposite side, upon the track which the elk had taken. The pack now

closed up; swimming the river, they opened upon a hot scent on the

opposite bank, and running parallel to the stream, they drove the buck

out of the jungle, and he came to bay on a rocky part of the river,

where the velocity of the torrent swept every dog past him and rendered

his position secure. The whole pack was there with the exception of

Tiptoe; we looked for him among the baying hounds in vain. For about

twenty minutes the buck kept his impregnable position, when in a foolish

moment he forsook it, and dashing along the torrent, he took to deep

water. The whole pack was after him; once Merriman got a hold, but

was immediately beaten off. Valiant, who was behaving nobly, and made

repeated attempts to seize, was struck beneath the water as often as he

advanced. The old veteran Smut was well to the point, and his deep voice

was heard loud above the din of the bay; but he could do nothing. The

buck had a firm footing, and was standing shoulder-deep; rearing to

his full height, and springing at the dogs as they swam towards him,

he struck them beneath the water with his fore feet. The bay lasted for

half an hour; at the expiration of this time, a sudden thought appeared

to strike old Smut; instead of continuing the attack, he swam direct for

the shore, leaving the buck still occupied with the baying pack. The elk

was standing about fourteen feet from the bank, which was covered with

jungle. Presently we saw the cunning old hero Smut creeping like a

leopard along the edge of the bank till opposite the elk; he slowly

retreated for a few paces, and the next moment he was seen flying

through the air, having made a tremendous spring at the elk's ear. A

cloud of spray for an instant concealed the effect. Both dog and buck

were for a few moments beneath the water; when they reappeared, the old

dog was hanging on his ear! Merriman at once had him by the other ear;

and one after another the seizers held him. In vain he tried to drown

them off by diving; as his head again rose above the surface, the dogs

were at their places: his struggles were useless, and the knife finished

him.

We now searched the jungle for Tiptoe's body, expecting to find him dead

where we had last seen him enter the jungle. Upon searching the spot,

we found him lying down, with his bowels in a heap by his side; the

quantity would have filled a cap. The hole in his side was made-by a

blow from the buck's hoof, and not being more than two inches in length,

strangulation had taken place, and I could not return the bowels.

The dog was still alive, though very faint. Fortunately we had a

small-bladed knife, with which I carefully enlarged the aperture,

and, having cleaned the bowels from the dirt and dead leaves which had

adhered to them, I succeeded in returning them; although I expected the

dog's death every instant. Taking off my neck tie, I made a pad,

with which I secured the aperture, and bound him tightly round with a

handkerchief. Making a sling with a couple of jackets upon a pole, we

placed the dog carefully, within it, and carried him home. By dressing

the wound every day with margosse oil, and keeping the pad and bandage

in the place, to my astonishment the dog recovered, and he is now as

well as ever he was, with the exception of the loss of one eye, which

was knocked out by the horn of an elk on another occasion.

The margosse oil that I have mentioned is a most valuable balsam for

wounds, having a peculiar smell, which prevents the attacks of flies,

who would otherwise blow the sore and occasion a nest of maggots in

a few hours. This oil is very healing, and soon creates a healthy

appearance in a bad cut. It is manufactured from the fruit of a plant

in Ceylon, but I have never met with it in the possession of an English

medical man. The smell of this oil is very offensive, even worse than

assafoetida, which it in some degree resembles. There are many medicinal

plants in Ceylon of great value, which, although made use of by the

natives, are either neglected or unknown to the profession in our own

country. One of the wild fruits of the jungle, the wood-apple or wild

quince, is very generally used by the natives in attacks of diarrhoea

and dysentery in the early stages of the disease; this has been used

for some years by English medical men in this island, but with no very

satisfactory effect.

CHAPTER IX.

A Morning's Deer-coursing--Kondawataweny--Rogue at Kondawa taweny--A

Close Shave--Preparations for Catching an Elephant--Catching

an Elephant--Taming Him--Flying Shot at a Buck--Cave at

Dimbooldene--Awkward Ground--A Charmed Life.

IT was in July, 1848, that I pitched my tent in the portion of Ceylon

known as the 'Park,' for the purpose of deer-coursing. I had only three

greyhounds, Killbuck, Bran and Lena, and these had been carried in a

palanquin from Newera Ellia, a distance of one hundred miles. The grass

had all been burnt about two months previously, and the whole country

was perfectly fresh and green, the young shoots not being more than half

a foot high. The deer were numerous but wild, which made the sport the

more enjoyable. I cannot describe the country better than by comparing

it to a rich English park, well watered by numerous streams and large

rivers, but ornamented by many beautiful rocky mountains, which are

seldom to be met with in England. If this part of the country had the

advantage of the Newera Ellia climate, it would be a Paradise, but

the intense heat destroys much of the pleasure in both shooting and

coursing, especially in the latter sport, as the greyhounds must be home

by 8 A. M., or they would soon die from the effects of the sun.

It was in the cool hour of sunrise, when the dew lay thickly upon the

grass, and the foliage glistened with the first beams of morning, that

we stalked over the extensive plains with Killbuck and Lena in the

slips, in search of deer. Several herds winded us at a distance of half

a mile, and immediately bounded away, rendering pursuit impossible; and

we determined not to slip the dogs unless they had a fair start, as one

run in this climate was quite work enough for a morning. After several

disappointments in stalking, we at length discovered a noble buck

standing alone by the edge of a narrow belt of jungle; the instant

that he observed us, he stepped proudly into the cover. This being open

forest, my brother took the greyhounds in at the spot where the deer had

entered, while I ran round to the opposite side of the cover, and took

my position upon an extensive lawn of fine grass about half a mile in

width.

I had not remained a minute at my post before I heard a crash in the

jungle, as though an elephant were charging through, and in another

instant, a splendid buck burst upon the plain at full speed, and away he

flew over the level lawn, with the brace of greyhounds laying out about

fifty paces behind him. Here was a fair trial of speed over a perfect

bowling-green, and away they flew, the buck exerting his utmost stride,

and the greyhounds stretching out till their briskets nearly touched the

ground; Killbuck leading with tremendous bounds, and Lena about a length

behind him.

By degrees the beautiful spring of the greyhounds appeared to tell, and

the distance between them and the buck gradually decreased, although

both deer and dogs flew along with undiminished speed. The plain was

nearly crossed, and the opposite jungle lay within 200 yards of them. To

gain this, the buck redoubled his exertions; the greyhounds knew as well

as he did, that it was his chance of escape, and with equal efforts

they pressed upon him. Not fifty paces now separated the buck from the

jungle, and with prodigious bounds he sped along; he neared it; he won

it! the yielding branches crashed before him, but the dogs were at his

haunches as the jungle closed over them and concealed the chase.

I was soon up; and upon entering the jungle, I could neither hear nor

see anything of them, but, by following up the track, I found them about

fifty yards from the entrance of the bush. The buck was standing on the

sandy bed of a dry stream, endeavouring in vain to free himself, while

the greyhounds pinned his nose to the ground, each hanging upon his

ears. The knife finished him immediately. There never was a more

exciting course; it had been nobly run by both the dogs, and well

contested by the buck, who was a splendid fellow and in fine condition.

On my way to the tent I wounded a doe at full speed, which Lena followed

singly and pulled down, thus securing our coolies a good supply of

venison. The flesh of the spotted deer is more like mutton than English

venison, and is excellent eating; it would be still better if the

climate would allow of its being kept for a few days.

There is no sport in Ceylon, in my opinion, that is equal to

deer-coursing, but the great difficulty attending it, is the lack of

good greyhounds. The spotted buck (or axis) is an animal of immense

power and courage; and although most greyhounds would course him, very

few would have sufficient courage and strength to hold him, unless

slipped two brace at a time, which would immediately spoil the sport.

A brace of greyhounds to one buck is fair play, and a good strong horse

will generally keep them in view. In two weeks' coursing in the Park, we

killed seventeen deer with three greyhounds; at the expiration of which

time, the dogs were so footsore and wounded by the hard burnt stubble of

the old grass that they were obliged to be sent home.

When the greyhounds had left, I turned my attention to elephants. There

were very few at this season in the Park, and I therefore left this part

of the country, which was dried up, and proceeded to Kondawataweny, in

the direction of Batticaloa.*(*The jungles have now been cleared away,

and a plain of 25,000 acres of rice cultivation has usurped the old

resort of elephants.) Kondawataweny is a small village, inhabited by

Moormen, situated on the edge of a large lake or tank. Upon arrival, I

found that the neighbourhood was alive with game of all kinds, and the

Moormen were excellent hands at elephants. There was accordingly no

difficulty in procuring good gun-bearers and trackers, and at 4 P.M.

of the day of our arrival, we started to make a circuit of the tank

in quest of the big game. At about 5 P.M. we observed several rogues

scattered in various directions around the lake; one of these fellows,

whose close acquaintance I made with the telescope, I prophesied would

show some fight before we owned his tail. This elephant was standing

some distance in the water, feeding and bathing. There were two

elephants close to the water's edge between him and us, and we

determined to have a shot at them en passant, and then try to bag the

big fellow.

Although we stalked very cautiously along the edge of the jungle which

surrounded the lake, divided from it by a strip of plain of about 200

yards in width, the elephants winded us, and retreated over the patina*

(*Grassy plains) at full speed towards the jungle. Endeavouring to cut

them off before they could reach the thick cover, we ran at our best

pace along the edge of the jungle, so as to meet them at right angles.

One reached the jungle before us, but a lucky shot at a distance of

sixty paces floored the other, who lay struggling on the ground, and was

soon extinguished. Having reloaded, we went in quest of the large rogue,

who was bathing in the tank. This gentleman had decamped, having taken

offence at the firing.

Close to the edge of the lake grew a patch of thick thorny jungle of

about two acres, completely isolated, and separated from the main jungle

by about eighty paces' length of fine turf. The Moormen knew the habits

of this rogue, who was well known in the neighbourhood, and they at once

said, "that he had concealed himself in the small patch of jungle." Upon

examining the tracks from the tank, we found they were correct.

The question was, how to dislodge him; the jungle was so dense that it

was impossible to enter, and driving was the only chance.

There was a small bush within a few paces of the main jungle, exactly

opposite that in which the elephant was concealed, and we determined to

hide behind this, while a few Moormen should endeavour to drive him from

his retreat, in which case, he would be certain to make for the main

forest, and would most probably pass near the bush, behind which we lay

in wait for him. Giving the Moormen a gun, we took to our hiding-place.

The men went round to the tank side of the patch of jungle, and

immediately commenced shouting and firing; securing themselves from an

attack by climbing into the highest trees. A short interval elapsed,

and not a sound of the elephant could be heard. The firing and shouting

ceased, and all was as still as death. Some of the Moormen returned from

the jungle, and declared that the elephant was not there; but this was

all nonsense; the fact was, they did not like the idea of driving him

out. Knowing the character of these 'rogues', I felt convinced that he

was one of the worst description, and that he was quietly waiting his

time, until some one should advance within his reach. Having given the

Moormen a supply of powder, I again despatched them to drive the jungle.

Once more the firing and shouting commenced, and continued until their

supply of powder was exhausted: no effects had been produced; it was

getting late, and the rogue appeared determined not to move. A dead

silence ensued, which was presently disturbed by the snapping of a

bough; in another moment the jungle crashed, and forth stepped the

object of our pursuit! He was a magnificent elephant, one of the most

vicious in appearance that I have ever seen; he understood the whole

affair as well as we did; and flourishing his trunk, he paced quickly

backwards and forwards for a few turns before the jungle he had just

quitted; suddenly making his resolution, he charged straight at the bush

behind which we had imagined ourselves concealed. He was about

eighty yards off when he commenced his onset; and seeing that we were

discovered, I left the hiding-place, and stepped to the front of the

bush to meet him with the four-ounce rifle. On he came at a great

pace, carrying his head very high, and making me the sole object of his

attack. I made certain of the shot, although his head was in a difficult

position, and I accordingly waited for him till he was within fifteen

paces. At this distance I took a steady shot and fired. A cloud of

smoke, from the heavy charge of powder, obscured everything, but I felt

so certain that he was down, that I looked under the smoke to see where

he lay. Ye gods! He was just over me in full charge! I had not even

checked him by the shot, and he was within three feet of me, going at

a tremendous pace. Throwing my heavy rifle into the bush, I doubled

quickly to one side, hoping that he would pass me and take to the main

jungle, to which I ran parallel as fast as my legs could carry me.

Instead of taking to the jungle, he turned short and quickly after me,

and a fair race commenced. I had about three feet start of him, and

I saw with delight that the ground was as level and smooth as a lawn;

there was no fear of tripping up, and away I went at the fastest pace

that I ever ran either before or since, taking a look behind me to see

how the chase went on. I saw the bullet-mark in his forehead, which was

covered with blood; his trunk was stretched to its full length to

catch me, and was now within two feet of my back; he was gaining on me,

although I was running at a tremendous pace. I could not screw an inch

more speed out of my legs, and I kept on, with the brute gaining on me

at every stride. He was within a foot of me, and I had not heard a shot

fired, and not a soul had come to the rescue. The sudden thought struck

me that my brother could not possibly overtake the elephant at the pace

at which we were going, and I immediately doubled short to my left into

the open plain, and back towards the guns. The rogue overshot me. I

met my brother close to his tail, which position he had with difficulty

maintained; but he could not get a shot, and the elephant turned into

the jungle, and disappeared just as I escaped him by a sharp turn. This

was a close shave; had not the ground been perfectly level I must have

been caught to a certainty, and even as it was, he would have had me in

another stride had I not turned from my straight course. It was nearly

dark, and we returned to the tent, killing several peacocks and ducks on

our way, with which the country swarmed.

We passed a miserable night, not being able to sleep on account of the

mosquitoes, which were in swarms. I was delighted to see the first beam

of morning, when our little winged enemies left us, and a 'chatty' bath

was most enjoyable after the restless tossings of a sleepless night. The

Moormen were out at dawn to look for elephants, the guns were cleaned,

and I looked forward to the return of the trackers with peculiar

interest, as we had determined to 'catch an elephant.' The Moormen were

all full of excitement and preparation. These men were well practised

in this sport, and they were soon busied in examining and coiling their

hide ropes for the purpose.

At about mid-day the trackers returned, having found a herd about five

miles from the village. We were all ready, and we set off without

a moment's delay, our party consisting of my brother, myself, four

gun-bearers, and about thirty Moormen, each of whom carried a coil of

finely-twisted rope made of thongs of raw deer's hide; these ropes were

each twenty yards in length, and about an inch in diameter.

Having skirted the borders of the tank for about three miles, we turned

into the forest, and continued our route through alternate open

and thick forest, until we at length reached a rough, open country,

interspersed with low jungles. Here we met the watchers, who reported

the herd to be a few hundred paces from us in some patches of thick

jungle. Taking the wind, we carefully approached their position. The

ground was very rough, being a complete city of anthills about two

feet high; these were overgrown with grass, giving the open country an

appearance of a vast churchyard of turf graves. Among these tumps grew

numerous small clusters of bushes, above which, we shortly discovered

the flapping ears of the elephants, they were slowly feeding towards the

more open ground. It was a lovely afternoon, the sky was covered with

a thin grey cloud, and the sun had little or no power. Hiding behind a

bush, we watched the herd for some time, until they had all quitted the

bushes and were well out in the open. There were two elephants facing

us, and the herd, which consisted of seven, were tolerably close

together, with the exception of one, who was about thirty yards apart

from the main body; this fellow we determined to catch. We therefore

arranged that our gun-bearers and four rope-carriers should accompany

us, while the remaining portion of our party should lie in reserve to

come to our assistance when required, as so large a body of men could

not possibly stalk the herd without being discovered. Falling upon our

hands and knees, we crept between the grassy ant-hills towards the two

leading elephants, who were facing us. The wind was pretty brisk, and

the ant-hills effectually concealed us till we were within seven paces

of our game. The two leaders then both dropped dead to the front shot,

and the fun began. The guns were so well handed up, that we knocked over

the six elephants before they had given us a run of twenty yards, and we

all closed up and ran under the tail of the retreating elephant that we

had devoted to the ropes. He was going at about seven miles an hour;

we therefore had no difficulty in keeping up with him, as we could

run between the ant-hills much faster than he could. The ropes were in

readiness, and with great dexterity, one of the Moormen slipped a noose

over one of his hind feet, as he raised it from the ground; and

drawing it tight, he dropped his coil. We all halted, and allowed the

unconscious elephant to run out his length of line; this he soon did,

and the rope trailed after him like a long snake, we all following at

about the centre of the length of rope, or twenty paces behind him.

He was making for the jungle, which was not far distant, and we were

running him like a pack of hounds, but keeping a gun in readiness, lest

he should turn and charge. He at length reached the wooded bank of a dry

river, and thick rattan jungle bordered the opposite side; he thought he

was safe, and he plunged down the crumbling bank. We were a little too

quick for him, by taking a double turn round a tree with the slack end

of the rope just as he descended the bank; the effect of this was to

bring him to a sudden standstill, and the stretching of the hide rope

threw him upon his knees. He recovered himself immediately, and used

extraordinary efforts to break away; tightening the rope to its utmost

length, he suddenly lifted up his tied leg and threw his whole weight

forward. Any but a hide rope of that diameter must have given way, but

this stretched like a harp-string, and at every effort to break it, the

yielding elasticity of the hide threw him upon his head, and the sudden

contraction after the fall, jerked his leg back to its full length.

After many vain, but tremendous efforts to free himself, he turned his

rage upon his pursuers, and charged everyone right and left; but he was

safely tied, and we took some little pleasure in teasing him. He had

no more chance than a fly in a spider's web. As he charged in one

direction, several nooses were thrown round his hind legs; then his

trunk was caught in a slip-knot, then his fore legs, then his neck, and

the ends of all these ropes being brought together and hauled tight, he

was effectually hobbled.

This had taken some time to effect (about half an hour), and we now

commenced a species of harness to enable us to drive him to the village.

The first thing was to secure his trunk by tying it to one of his fore

legs; this leg was then fastened with a slack rope to one of his hind

legs, which prevented him from taking a longer stride than about two

feet; his neck was then tied to his other fore leg, and two ropes were

made fast to both his fore and hind legs; the ends of these ropes being

manned by thirty men.

Having completed these arrangements, he was released from the ties which

hobbled him, and we commenced the arduous task of driving him towards

the village, a distance of five miles. The only method of getting him

along, was to keep two men to tease him in front, by shouting and waving

cloths before his face; he immediately charged these fellows, who, of

course, ran in the right direction for the village, and by this repeated

manoeuvre we reached the borders of the tank by nightfall. We were still

at least two miles from the village, and we were therefore obliged

to tie him to a tree for the night. The next morning we succeeded in

driving him to the village. He was a fine elephant, but not full grown,

and for this reason he had been selected from the herd for capture, as

they are more valuable at this particular period of their growth,

being easily rendered docile. He was about sixteen years of age; and

by starving for two days, and subsequent gentle treatment, the natives

mounted and rode him on the third day of his capture, taking the

precaution, however, of first securing his trunk. This elephant was then

worth fifteen pounds to be sold to the Arabs for the Indian market.

After a stay of a few days in this neighbourhood, during which we had

good sport in elephant-shooting, we returned to the Park country. The

first evening of our return, we heard elephants roaring in the jungle

within a short distance of the tent. At daybreak the next morning we

were on their tracks, and after a walk of five miles we found them in

thick thorny jungle, and only killed three. We had a long day's work,

and we were returning home in the afternoon when we suddenly observed a

herd of deer grazing in the beautiful park. The headman of this part of

the country is a first-rate sportsman, and has always accompanied me in

shooting through this district. This man, whose name is Banda, is the

only Cingalese that I have ever seen who looks like a man of good birth

in his nation. Strikingly handsome and beautifully proportioned, with

the agility of a deer, he is in all respects the beau ideal of a native

hunter. His skill in tracking is superb, and his thorough knowledge of

the habits of all Ceylon animals, especially of elephants, renders him

a valuable ally to a sportsman. He and I commenced a careful stalk, and

after a long circuit I succeeded in getting within seventy paces of the

herd of deer. The ground was undulating, and they were standing on the

top of a low ridge of hills. I dropped a buck with my two-ounce rifle,

and the herd immediately disappeared behind the top of the hill. Taking

one of my double-barrelled rifles, which Banda gave me, I ran to the top

of the hill as fast as I could, just in time to see the herd going at a

flying speed along a small valley at a long distance. Another buck was

separated from the herd by about forty paces, and putting up the second

sight of my rifle, I took a shot at him; to my delight he plunged

heavily upon the turf. I fired my remaining barrel at the herd, but I

must have missed, as none fell. I immediately stepped the distance to

the dead buck, 187 paces. I had fired a little too high, and missed his

body, but the ball struck him in the neck and had broken his spine. A

successful flying shot at this distance has a very pretty effect, and

Banda was delighted.

There were very few elephants at this season at the Park, and the

numberless 'ticks' which swarmed in the grass, spoilt all the pleasure

of shooting. These little wretches, which are not larger than a small

grain of gunpowder, find their way to every part of the body, and the

irritation of their bites is indescribable. Scratching, is only adding

fuel to fire; there is no certain prevention or relief from their

attacks; the best thing that I know is cocoa-nut oil rubbed daily over

the whole body, but the remedy is almost as unpleasant as the bite.

Ceylon is, at all times, a frightful place for vermin: in the dry

weather we have ticks; it the wet weather mosquitoes, and, what are

still more disgusting, 'leeches,' which swarm in the grass, and upon the

leaves of the jungle. These creatures insinuate themselves through all

the openings in a person's dress--up the trousers, under the waistcoat,

down the neck, up the wrists, and in fact everywhere, drawing blood with

insatiable voracity, and leaving an unpleasant irritation for some days

after.

All these annoyances form great drawbacks to the enjoyment of the

low-country sports; although they are afterwards forgotten, and the

bright moments of the sport are all that are looked back to, they

are great discomforts at the time. When the day is over, and the man,

fatigued by intense heat and a hard day's work, feels himself refreshed

by a bath and a change of clothes, the incurable itching of a thousand

tick-bites destroys all his pleasure; he finds himself streaming with

blood from leech-bites, and for the time he feels disgusted with the

country. First-rate sport can alone compensate for all these annoyances.

There is a portion of the Park country known as Dimbooldene. In this

part there is a cave formed by a large overhanging rock, which is a much

cooler residence than the tent. Here we accordingly bivouacked, the cave

being sufficiently large to contain the horses in addition to ourselves

and servants. After a delightfully cool night, free from mosquitoes, we

made a day of it, but we walked from sunrise till 5 P.M. without seeing

a sign of an elephant. At length, from the top of a high hill on the

very confines of the Park country, we looked across a deep valley, and

with the assistance of the telescope we plainly distinguished a large

single elephant feeding on the grassy side of an opposite mountain. To

cross the deep valley that separated us, and to ascend the mountain,

would have taken several hours, and at this time of the day it was

impracticable; we were thus compelled to turn our backs upon the game,

and return towards our rocky home. Tired, more from our want of success

than from the day's work, we strolled leisurely along, and we were

talking of the best plan to be adopted for the next day's work, when I

suddenly observed a herd of eight elephants going up the side of a small

hill at their best pace within 200 yards of us. They had just quitted a

small jungle at the bottom of a ravine, and they had been alarmed by our

approach.

Off we started in pursuit, down the rugged side of the hill we were

descending, and up the opposite hill, upon the elephants' tracks,

as hard as we could run. Just as we reached the top of the hill, the

elephants were entering a small jungle on the other side. My brother

got a shot, and killed the last of the herd; in another moment they had

disappeared. It had been a sharp burst up the steep hill, and we stopped

to breathe, but we were almost immediately in pursuit again, as we saw

the herd emerge from the jungle at the base of the hill, and plough

their way through a vast field of high lemon grass.

Upon arriving on their tracks, they had fairly distanced us. The grass,

which was as thick as a hedge, was trodden into lanes by the elephants,

and upon either side it stood like a wall ten or twelve feet high.

Upon these tracks we ran along for some time, until it became dusk. We

halted, and were consulting as to the prudence of continuing the chase

at this late hour, when we suddenly heard the cracking of the branches

in a small jungle in a hollow close to our left, and upon taking a

position upon some rising ground, we distinctly saw several elephants

standing in the high grass about a hundred paces before us, close to

the edge of the jungle in which the remaining portion of the herd was

concealed. Two of the elephants were looking at us, and as there was no

time to lose, we walked straight up to them. They stood quietly watching

us till we were within twenty yards, when they came a few paces forward,

one immediately fall ing dead to my shot, while the other was turned by

a shot from my brother; the rest retreated to the jungle over the most

difficult ground for both man and beast. Immense rocks lay scattered in

heaps over the surface, forming chasms by the intervening crevices of

five and six feet in depth; from these crevices the long lemon grass

grew in dense tufts, completely hiding the numerous pitfalls, and making

the retreat of the elephants and our pursuit equally difficult. I was

close to the tail of a large elephant, who was picking his way carefully

over the treacherous surface, and I was waiting for an opportunity for

a shot should he turn his head, when I suddenly pitched head first into

one of these rocky holes. Here I scrambled for some seconds before I

could extricate myself, as I was carrying my heavy four-ounce rifle; and

at length, upon recovering my footing, I found that all the elephants

had gained the jungle, except the one that I had been following. He was

about twenty yards from me, and was just entering the jungle, but I got

a splendid shot at him behind the ear and rolled him over.

It was very nearly dark, and we could not of course follow the herd any

farther; we therefore reloaded, and turned towards the direction of

the cave; this was plainly shown by a distant blaze of light from

the night-fires, which were already lit. We were walking slowly along

parallel to the jungle, into which the elephants had retreated, when my

man Wallace, who is a capital gun-bearer, halloed out, 'Here comes an

elephant!' and in the dim twilight I could see an elephant bowling at a

great pace towards us, but close to the jungle. He was forty yards from

me, but my brother fired at him and without effect. I took a quick shot

with a double-barrelled rifle, and he dropped immediately. Hearing him

roar as he lay in the high lemon grass by the edge of the jungle, I

ran down the gentle slope to the spot, followed by my trusty gun-bearer

Wallace, as I knew the elephant was only stunned and would soon recover.

Upon arriving within a few feet of the spot, pushing my way with

difficulty through the tangled lemon grass, I could not see where he

lay, as daylight had now vanished. I was vainly looking about, when I

suddenly heard a rush in the grass close to me, and I saw the head and

cocked ears of the elephant within six feet, as he came at me. I had

just time to fire my remaining barrel, and down he dropped to the shot!

I jumped back a few paces to assure myself of the result, as the smoke

hanging in the high grass, added to the darkness, completely blinded me.

Wallace pushed the spare rifle into my hand, and to my astonishment I

saw the head and cocked ears again coming at me! It was so dark that I

could not take an aim, but I floored him once more by a front shot, and

again I jumped back through the tangled grass, just in time to avoid

him, as he, for the third time, recovered himself and charged. He was

not five paces from me; I took a steady shot at him with my last barrel,

and I immediately bolted as hard as I could run. This shot once

more floored him, but he must have borne a charmed life, as he again

recovered his legs, and to my great satisfaction he turned into the

jungle and retreated. This all happened in a few seconds; had it been

daylight I could of course have killed him, but as it happened I could

not even distinguish the sights at the end of my rifle. In a few

minutes afterwards, it became pitch dark, and we could only steer for

the cave by the light of the fire, which was nearly two miles distant.

The next day, we found a herd of eight elephants in very favourable

ground, and succeeded in killing seven; but this was the last herd in

the Park, and after a few days spent in beating up the country without

success, I returned to Newera Ellia, the bag being twenty-two elephants

during a trip of three weeks, in addition to deer, hogs, buffalo, and

small game, which had afforded excellent sport.

CHAPTER X.

Another Trip to the Park-A Hard Day's Work-Discover a Herd-Death of

the Herd-A Furious Charge-Caught at Last-The Consequences-A Thorough

Rogue-Another Herd in High Lemon Grass-Bears-A Fight between a

Moorman and a Bear-A Musical Herd-Herd Escape-A Plucky Buck-Death of

'Killbuck'-Good Sport with a Herd-End of the Trip.

ABOUT twelve months elapsed without my pulling a trigger. I had

contented myself with elk-hunting in Newera Ellia and the vicinity, but

in November, 1850, the greyhounds were again in their palanquin, and,

ac companied by my brother V., I was once more in the saddle on my

steady-going old horse Jack, en route for the Park.

It was 5 P.M. on a cool and lovely evening that we halted, and unsaddled

in this beautiful country. Our tents and coolies were far behind, our

horse-keepers were our only attendants, and we fixed upon a spot as

the most eligible site for the tents. A large open park lay before us,

interspersed with trees, and clumps of forest. A clear stream flowed

from some low rocky hills upon our right, and several detached masses of

rock lay scattered irregularly here and there, like the ruins of an old

castle. Large trees grew from the crevices of these rocks, and beneath

their shade we turned our horses loose to graze upon a soft sweet grass,

with which this part of the Park is covered. We had the greyhounds with

us, and a single rifle, but no other guns, as the servants were far

behind. Having given directions to the horse-keepers to point out the

spot for the tents on the arrival of the people, we took a stroll with

the greyhounds to get a deer, as we depended upon this chance for our

dinner.

Just as we were starting, we noticed two large elephants feeding on the

rocky hills within a quarter of a mile of us; but having no guns up,

with the exception of one rifle, we were obliged to postpone the attack,

and, cautioning the horse-keepers to observe silence lest the game

should be alarmed, we left the elephants to their meal, while we struck

off in another direction with the greyhounds. We found a herd of deer

within half a mile of our starting-place; they had just come out from

the forest for the night's feeding; and when I first saw them, they were

barking to each other in a small glade within sixty paces of the jungle.

Dinner depending upon success, I stalked them with the greatest caution.

Taking Killbuck and Lena in the slips I crept from tree to tree without

the slightest noise; I had the wind, and if any dogs could kill a deer

in the difficult position in which the herd stood, these two would do

it. I got within sixty yards of the herd before they observed me, and as

they dashed off towards the jungle, I slipped the straining greyhounds.

A loud cheer to the dogs confused the herd, and they scattered to the

right and left as they gained the forest, the dogs being close up with

them, and Killbuck almost at a buck's throat as he reached the jungle.

Following as well as I could through the dusky jungle, I shortly heard

the cry of a deer, and on arriving at the spot I found Killbuck and Lena

with a buck on the ground. No deer had a chance with this wonderful

dog Killbuck. When he was once slipped, there was no hope for the game

pursued; no matter what the character of the country might be, it was

certain death to the deer. We gralloched the buck, and having fed the

dogs with the offal, we carried him on a pole to the place where we had

left the horses. On arrival, we deposited our heavy burden; and to

our satisfaction, we found all our people had arrived. The tents were

pitched, and the night-fires were already blazing, as daylight had

nearly ceased.

In the course of an hour, we were comfortably seated at our table, with

venison steaks, and chops smoking before us--thanks to the dogs, who

were now soundly sleeping at our feet. During the progress of dinner

I planned the work for the day following. We were now eight miles from

Nielgalla (Blue Rock), the village at which Banda resided, and I ordered

a man to start off at daybreak to tell him that I was in his country,

and to bring old Medima and several other good men (that I knew) to the

tent without delay. I proposed that we should, in the meantime, start

at daylight on the tracks of the two elephants that we had seen upon

the hills, taking Wallace and a few of the best coolies as gun-bearers.

Wallace is a Cochin man, who prides himself upon a mixture of Portuguese

blood. He speaks six different languages fluently, and is without

exception the best interpreter and the most plucky gun-bearer that

I have ever seen. He has accompanied me through so many scenes with

unvarying firmness that I never have the slightest anxiety about my

spare guns if he is there, as he keeps the little troop of gun-bearers

in their places in a most methodical manner.

At break of day on the following morning we were upon the tracks of the

two elephants, but a slight shower during the night had so destroyed

them that we found it was impossible to follow them up. We therefore

determined to examine the country thoroughly for fresh tracks, and we

accordingly passed over many miles of ground, but to little purpose, as

none were to be seen.

We at length discovered fresh traces of a herd in thick thorny jungle,

which was too dense to enter, but marking their position, we determined

to send out watchers on the following day to track them into better

country. Having killed a deer, we started him off with some coolies that

we had taken with us on this chance, and we continued our route till 3

P.M. We had lost our way, and, not having any guide, we had no notion

of the position of the tents; the heat of the day had been intense,

and, not having breakfasted, we were rather anxious about the direction.

Strolling through this beautiful expanse of Park country, we directed

our course for a large rocky mountain, at a few miles' distance, at the

base of which I knew lay the route from the tent to Nielgalla. To our

great satisfaction we found the path at about 4 P.M., and we walked

briskly along at the foot of the mountain in the direction of our

encampment, which was about four miles distant.

We had just arrived at an angle of the mountain, which, in passing, we

were now leaving to our left, when we suddenly halted, our attention

having been arrested by the loud roaring of elephants in a jungle at

the foot of the hills, within a quarter of a mile of us. The roaring

continued at intervals, reverberating among the rocks like distant

thunder, till it at length died away to stillness.

We soon arrived in the vicinity of the sound, and shortly discovered

tracks upon a hard sandy soil, covered with rocks and overgrown with a

low, but tolerably open jungle at the base of the mountain. Following

the tracks, we began to ascend steep flights of natural steps formed by

the successive layers of rock, which girded the foot of the mountain;

these were covered with jungle, interspersed with large detached masses

of granite, which in some places formed alleys through which the herd

had passed. The surface of the ground being nothing but hard rock,

tracking was very difficult, and it took me a considerable time to

follow them up by the pieces of twigs and crunched leaves, which the

elephants had dropped while feeding. I at length tracked them to a small

pool formed by the rain-water in the hollow of the rock; here they had

evidently been drinking only a few minutes previous, as the tracks of

their feet upon the margin of the pool were still wet. I now went on in

advance of the party with great caution, as I knew that we were not many

paces from the herd. Passing through several passages among the rocks,

I came suddenly upon a level plateau of ground covered with dense lemon

grass about twelve feet high, which was so thick and tangled, that a

man could with difficulty force his way through it. This level space was

about two acres in extent, and was surrounded by jungle upon all sides

but one; on this side, to our right as we entered, the mountain rose in

rocky steps, from the crevices of which, the lemon grass grew in tall

tufts.

The instant that I arrived in this spot, I perceived the nap of an

elephant's ear in the high grass, about thirty paces from me, and

upon careful inspection I distinguished two elephants standing close

together. By the rustling of the grass in different places I could see

that the herd was scattered, but I could not make out the elephants

individually, as the grass was above their heads.

I paused for some minutes to consider the best plan of attack; but the

gun-bearers, who were behind me, being in a great state of excitement,

began to whisper to each other, and in arranging their positions behind

their respective masters, they knocked several of the guns together. In

the same moment, the two leading elephants discovered us, and, throwing

their trunks up perpendicularly, they blew the shrill trumpet of alarm

without attempting to retreat. Several trumpets answered the call

immediately from different positions in the high grass, from which,

trunks were thrown up, and huge heads just appeared in many places, as

they endeavoured to discover the danger which the leaders had announced.

The growl of an elephant is exactly like the rumbling of thunder, and

from their deep lungs the two leader, who had discovered us, kept up an

uninterrupted peal, thus calling the herd together. Nevertheless, they

did not attempt to retreat, but stood gazing attentively at us with

their ears cocked, looking extremely vicious. In the meantime, we stood

perfectly motionless, lest we should scare them before the whole

herd had closed up. In about a minute, a dense mass of elephants had

collected round the two leaders, who were all gazing at us; and thinking

this a favourable moment, I gave the word, and we pushed towards them

through the high grass. A portion of the herd immediately wheeled round

and retreated as we advanced, but five elephants, including the two who

had first discovered us, formed in a compact line abreast, and thrashing

the long grass to the right and left with their trunks, with ears cocked

and tails up, they came straight at us. We pushed forward to meet them,

but they still came on in a perfect line, till within ten paces of us.

A cloud of smoke hung over the high grass as the rifles cracked in rapid

succession, and the FIVE ELEPHANTS LAY DEAD in the same order as they

had advanced. The spare guns had been beautifully handed; and running

between the carcasses, we got into the lane that the remaining portion

of the herd had made by crushing the high grass in their retreat. We

were up with them in a few moments; down went one! then another! up he

got again, almost immediately recovering from V.'s shot; down he went

again! as I floored him with my last barrel.

I was now unloaded, as I had only two of my double-barrelled No. 10

rifles out that day, but the chase was so exciting that I could not help

following empty-handed, in the hope that some gun-bearer might put one

of V.'s spare guns in my hand. A large elephant and her young one, who

was about three feet and a half high, were retreating up the rugged side

of the mountain, and the mother, instead of protecting the little one,

was soon a hundred paces ahead of him, and safely located in a thick

jungle which covered that portion of the mountain. Being empty-handed,

I soon scrambled up and caught the little fellow by the tail; but he was

so strong that I could not hold him, although I exerted all my strength,

and he dragged me slowly towards the jungle to which his mother had

retreated. V. now came up, and he being loaded, I told him to keep a

look-out for the mother's return, while I secured my captive, by seizing

him by the trunk with one hand and by the tail with the other; in this

manner I could just master him by throwing my whole weight down the

hill, and he began to roar like a full-grown elephant. The mother was

for a wonder faithless to her charge, and did not return to the little

one's assistance. While I was engaged in securing him, the gun-bearers

came up, and at this moment I observed, at the foot of the hill, another

elephant, not quite full grown, who was retreating through the high

grass towards the jungle. There were no guns charged except one of my

No. 10 rifles, which some one had reloaded; taking this, I left the

little 'Ponchy' with V. and the gun-bearers, and running down the side

of the hill, I came up with the elephant just as he was entering the

jungle, and getting the earshot, I killed him.

We had bagged nine elephants, and only one had escaped from the herd;

this was the female who had forsaken her young one.

Wallace now came up and cut off the tails of those that I had killed.

I had one barrel still loaded, and I was pushing my way through the

tangled grass towards the spot where the five elephants lay together,

when I suddenly heard Wallace shriek out, 'Look out, sir! Look out!--an

elephant's coming!'

I turned round in a moment; and close past Wallace, from the very spot

where the last dead elephant lay, came the very essence and incarnation

of a 'rogue' elephant in full charge. His trunk was thrown high in the

air, his ears were cocked, his tail stood erect above his back as stiff

as a poker, and screaming exactly like the whistle of a railway engine,

he rushed upon me through the high grass with a velocity that was

perfectly wonderful. His eyes flashed as he came on, and he had singled

me out as his victim.

I have often been in dangerous positions, but I never felt so totally

devoid of hope as I did in this instance. The tangled grass rendered

retreat impossible. I had only one barrel loaded, and that was useless,

as the upraised trunk protected his forehead. I felt myself doomed; the

few thoughts that rush through men's minds in such hopeless positions,

flew through mine, and I resolved to wait for him till he was close upon

me, before I fired, hoping that he might lower his trunk and expose his

forehead.

He rushed along at the pace of a horse in full speed; in a few moments,

as the grass flew to the right and left before him, he was close upon

me, but still his trunk was raised and I would not fire. One second

more, and at this headlong pace he was within three feet of me; down

slashed his trunk with the rapidity of a whip-thong! and with a shrill

scream of fury he was upon me!

I fired at that instant; but in a twinkling of an eye I was flying

through the air like a ball from a bat. At the moment of firing. I had

jumped to the left, but he struck me with his tusk in full charge upon

my right thigh, and hurled me eight or ten paces from him. That very

moment he stopped, and, turning round, he beat the grass about with his

trunk, and commenced a strict search for me. I heard him advancing close

to the spot where I lay as still as death, knowing that my last chance

lay in concealment. I heard the grass rustling close to me; closer and

closer he approached, and he at length beat the grass with his trunk

several times exactly above me. I held my breath, momentarily expecting

to feel his ponderous foot upon me. Although I had not felt the

sensation of fear while I had stood opposed to him, I felt like what

I never wish to feel again while he was deliberately hunting me up.

Fortunately I had reserved my fire until the rifle had almost touched

him, for the powder and smoke had nearly blinded him, and had spoiled

his acute power of scent. To my joy I heard the rustling of the grass

grow fainter; again I heard it at a still greater distance; at length it

was gone!

At that time I thought that half my bones were broken, as I was numbed

from head to foot by the force of the blow. His charge can only be

compared to a blow from a railway engine going at twenty miles an hour.

Not expecting to be able to move, I crept to my hands and knees. To my

delight there were no bones broken, and with a feeling of thankfulness I

stood erect. I with difficulty reached a stream of water near the spot,

in which I bathed my leg, but in a few minutes it swelled to the size of

a man's waist. In this spot everyone had congregated, and were loading

their guns, but the rogue had escaped.

My cap and rifle were now hunted for, and they were at length found near

the spot where I had been caught. The elephant had trodden on the stock

of the rifle, and it bears the marks of his foot to this day.

In a few minutes I was unable to move. We therefore sent to the tent for

the horses, and arrived at 6 P.M., having had a hard day's work from 5

A.M. without food.

On arrival at the tent we found Banda and the trackers.

There could not be a better exemplification of a rogue than in this

case. A short distance apart from the herd, he had concealed himself in

the jungle, from which position he had witnessed the destruction of his

mates. He had not stirred a foot until he saw us totally unprepared,

when he instantly seized the opportunity and dashed out upon me. If I

had attempted to run from him, I should have been killed, as he would

have struck me in the back; my only chance was in the course which I

pursued--to wait quietly until he was just over me, and then to jump on

one side; he thus struck me on the thickest part of the thigh instead of

striking me in the stomach, which he must have done had I remained in my

first position; this would have killed me on the spot.

I passed an uncomfortable night, my leg being very painful and covered

with wet bandages of vinegar and water. The bruise came out from my

ankle to my hip; the skin was broken where the tush had struck me, and

the blood had started under the skin over a surface of nearly a foot,

making the bruise a bright purple, and giving the whole affair a most

unpleasant appearance. The next morning I could not move my leg, which

felt like a sack of sand, and was perfectly numbed; however, I kept on

a succession of cold lotions, and after breakfast I was assisted upon my

horse, and we moved the encampment to Nielgalla. On the following day

I could just manage to hobble along, my leg being at least double its

usual size, and threatening to spoil my sport for the whole trip.

We were seated at breakfast when a native came in, bringing intelligence

of a herd of elephants about four miles distant. I was not in a state

for shooting, but I resolved to mount my steady old horse Jack, and take

my chance of revenge for my mishap. The guns were accordingly loaded,

and we started.

We had ridden through the Park for about three miles, and had just

turned round the corner of a patch of jungle, when we came suddenly upon

a large rogue elephant, who was standing in the open, facing us at about

seventy yards. The moment that he saw the horses he turned sharp round,

and retreated to a long belt of fine open forest which was close behind

him. There was no resisting the invitation upon such favourable ground,

and immediately dismounting, we followed him. I now found that my leg

was nearly useless, and I could only move at a snail's pace, and even

then with great pain. Upon reaching the forest, we found that the rogue

had decamped, not wishing to meet us in such advantageous ground. We

followed his tracks for a few hundred yards through the wood, till we

suddenly emerged upon a large tract of high lemon grass. Into this, our

cunning foe had retreated, and with my decreased powers of locomotion,

I did not wish to pursue him farther. I was at length persuaded by Banda

to make a trial, and we accordingly left the track, and pushed our way

through the high grass to some rising ground, from which we could look

over the surface of waving vegetation, and find out the exact position

of the elephant. While forcing our way through the dense mass, I

momentarily expected to hear the rush of the rogue charging down upon

us, and I was glad to find myself at length safe in the position we had

steered for.

Upon scanning the surface of the grass, I distinguished the elephant

immediately; he was standing close to the edge of the jungle in the high

grass facing us, at about 150 yards distant. He was a picture of intense

excitement and attention, and was evidently waiting for us. In the

position that we now occupied, we unavoidably gave him the wind, and he

of course almost immediately discovered us. Giving two or three shrill

trumpets, he paced quickly to and fro before the jungle, as though he

were guarding the entrance. To enter the high grass to attack him, would

have been folly, as he was fully prepared, and when once in the tangled

mass we could not have seen him until he was upon us; we therefore

amused ourselves for about ten minutes by shouting at him. During

this time he continued pacing backwards and forwards, screaming almost

without intermission; and having suddenly made up his mind to stand

this bullying no longer, he threw his trunk up in the air and charged

straight at us. The dust flew like smoke from the dry grass as he rushed

through it; but we were well prepared to receive him. Not wishing him

to come to close quarters with my useless leg, I gave him a shot with my

two-ounce rifle, at about 120 paces. It did not even check him, but

it had the effect of making him lower his trunk, and he came on at

undiminished speed. Taking the four-ounce rifle from Wallace, I heard

the crack of the ball as it entered his head at about 100 yards. He

was down! A general shout of exclamation rose from Banda and all the

gun-bearers. I reloaded the four-ounce immediately, and the ball was

just rammed home when we heard the supposed dead elephant roaring on

the ground. In another moment he regained his legs and stood with his

broadside exposed to us, stunned with the heavy ball in his head.

Taking a steady shot at his shoulder, I gave him a second dose of the

four-ounce; he reeled to and fro and staggered into the jungle. I dared

not follow him in my crippled state, and we returned to the horses; but

the next day he was found dead by the natives.

I much feared that the shot fired might have disturbed the herd of

elephants, as they were reported to be not far distant; this, however,

proved not to be the case, as we met the watchers about a mile farther

on, who reported the herd to be perfectly undisturbed, but located in

the everlasting lemon grass. At this time the greater portion of the

Park was a mass of this abominable grass, and there was no chance of

getting the elephants in any other position, this serving them at the

same time for both food and shelter. How they can eat it is a puzzle; it

is as sharp as a knife, and as coarse as a file, with a flavour of the

most pungent lemon peel.

We shortly arrived at the spot in which the herd was concealed; it was a

gentle slope covered with dense lemon grass, terminated by a jungle.

We could just distinguish the tops of the elephants' heads in several

places, and, having dismounted, we carefully entered the grass, and

crept towards the nearest elephants. The herd was much scattered, but

there were five elephants close to each other, and we made towards

these, Banda leading the way. My only chance of making a bag lay in the

first onset; I therefore cautioned Wallace to have the spare guns

handed with extra diligence, and we crept up to our game. There were two

elephants facing us, but we stalked them so carefully through the high

grass that we got within four paces of them before they discovered us;

they cocked their ears for an instant, and both rolled over at the same

moment to the front shot. Away dashed the herd, trumpeting and screaming

as they rushed through the high grass. For a few moments my game leg

grew quite lively, as it was all downhill work, and I caught up an

elephant and killed him with the left-hand barrel. Getting a spare gun,

I was lucky enough to get between two elephants who were running abreast

towards the jungle, and I bagged them by a right and left shot. Off

went the herd at a slapping pace through the jungle, V. pitching it into

them, but unfortunately to very little purpose, as they had closed up

and formed a barrier of sterns; thus we could not get a good shot. For

about a quarter of a mile I managed to hobble along, carried away by

the excitement of the chase, through jungles, hollows, and small glades,

till my leg, which had lost all feeling, suddenly gave way, and I lay

sprawling on my face, incapable of going a step farther. I had killed

four elephants; six had been killed altogether. It was very bad luck, as

the herd consisted of eleven; but the ground was very unfavourable, and

my leg gave way when it was most required.

A few days after this, the tents were pitched on the banks of the broad

river of Pattapalaar, about eight miles beyond Nielgalla. Elephants were

very scarce, and the only chance of getting them, was to work hard. We

were on horseback at break of day, and having forded the river, we rode

silently through plain and forest in search of tracks. We refused every

shot at deer, lest we should disturb the country, and scare away the

elephants.

We had ridden for some distance upon an elephant path, through a

tolerably open forest at the foot of a range of rocky mountains, when

Banda, who was some paces in advance, suddenly sprang back again,

crying, 'Wallaha! wallaha!' (Bears! bears!) We were off our horses in a

moment, but I fell sprawling upon my back, my leg being so powerless

and numbed that I could not feel when I touched the ground. I recovered

myself just in time to see a bear waddling along through the jungle, and

I pushed after him in pursuit at my best pace. V. had disappeared in the

jungle in pursuit of another bear, and I presently heard two or three

shots. In the meantime my game had slackened speed to a careless kind of

swaggering walk; and the underwood being rather thick, I was determined

to get close to him before I fired, as I knew that I could not follow

him far, and my success would therefore depend upon the first shot. I

overtook him in a few moments, and I was following within a foot of his

tail, waiting for a chance for a clear shot between his shoulders,

as the thick underwood parted above his back, when he suddenly sprang

round, and with a fierce roar, he leaped upon the muzzle of the gun. I

fired both barrels into him as he threw his whole weight against it, and

I rolled him over in a confused cloud of smoke and crackling bushes.

In a moment he was on his legs again, but going off through the thick

underwood at a pace that in my helpless state soon left me far behind.

His state must have been far from enviable, as he left portions of his

entrails all along his track. V. had killed his bear; he weighed about

two hundred pounds, and measured fourteen inches round the arm, without

his hide.

The Ceylon bear is a most savage animal, constantly attacking men

without the slightest provocation. I have seen many natives frightfully

disfigured by the attacks of bears, which they dread more than any other

animal. Nothing would induce my trackers to follow up the wounded beast.

I followed him as far as I could, but my useless limb soon gave way,

and I was obliged to give him up. I once saw a Moorman, who was a fine

powerful fellow and an excellent elephant-tracker, who had a narrow

escape from a bear. He was cutting bamboos with a catty or kind of

bill-hook, when one of these animals descended from a tree just above

him and immediately attacked him. The man instinctively threw his left

arm forward to receive the bear, who seized it in his mouth and bit the

thumb completely off, lacerating the arm and wrist at the same time in

a frightful manner. With one blow of the bill-hook the Moorman cleft the

bear's skull to the teeth, at the same time gashing his own arm to the

bone by the force of the blow; and he never afterwards recovered the

proper use of the limb.

The Ceylon bear feeds upon almost anything that offers; he eats honey,

ants, fruit, roots, and flesh whenever he can procure it: his muscular

power is enormous, and he exerts both teeth and claws in his attack.

They are very numerous in Ceylon, although they are seldom met with in

any number, owing to their nocturnal habits, which attract them to their

caves at break of day.

After strolling over the country for some miles, we came upon fresh

elephant-tracks in high grass, which we immediately followed up. In the

course of half an hour, after tracking them for about two miles through

open country, we entered a fine forest, in which the herd had retired;

but our hopes of meeting them in this favourable ground were suddenly

damped by arriving at a dense chenar jungle in the very heart of the

forest. This chenar extended for some acres, and rose like a hedge,

forming a sudden wall of thorns, which effectually checked our advance.

The elephants had retired to this secure retreat, and having winded

us they kept up an uninterrupted roaring. I never heard such a musical

herd: the deep and thunder-like growls, combined with the shrill trumpet

and loud roars, as they all joined in concert, had a particularly grand

effect, and a novice in elephant-shooting would have felt his heart beat

in double time.

There was a rogue consorting with this herd, and it was necessary to

be particularly cautious in the attack. It was impossible to enter such

thick jungle, and I've waited for some hours in the forest, close to

the edge of the chenar, trying every dodge in vain to induce the herd to

quit their stronghold. They were continually on the QUI VIVE. Sometimes

a tremendous rush would be heard in the thick jungle as the herd would

charge towards us; but they invariably stopped just upon the borders,

and would not venture into the open forest. On one occasion I thought

we had them: they rushed to the edge of the thick jungle, and suddenly

filed off to the left and halted in a line within a few feet of the

forest. We were within six paces of them, concealed behind the trunks of

several large trees, from which we could discover the dim forms of six

elephants through the screen of thorns, which had a similar effect to

that produced by looking through a gauze veil. For some moments they

stood in an attitude of intense attention, and I momentarily expected

them to break cover, as we were perfectly still and motionless in our

concealed position. Suddenly they winded us, and whisked round to the

thick jungle, disappearing like magic.

We now tried the effect of bullying, and we sent men to different parts

of the jungle to shout and fire guns; this stirred up the wrath of the

rogue, and he suddenly burst from the thick jungle and rushed into the

open forest right among us. We were both standing behind the trees; and

the gun-bearers, with the exception of Wallace, had thrown the guns down

and had bolted up the trees when they heard the rush of the elephant

through the jungle; thus, upon his arrival in the open forest, he could

see no one, and he stood gazing about him with his ears cocked and tail

on end, not knowing exactly what to do, but ready to charge the first

person that showed himself. He was an immense elephant, being one of the

largest that I have ever seen, and he had as fine an expression of vice

in his appearance as any rogue could wish for. Suddenly he turned his

trunk towards us, but he was puzzled as to the exact position of any

one, as so many men were scattered among the trees. I was within twenty

yards of him, and he turned his head towards the spot, and was just on

the move forward, when I anticipated his intentions by running up to

him and knocking him over by a shot in the forehead, which killed him.

Unfortunately the herd at the same moment broke cover on the opposite

side of the jungle, and escaped without a shot being fired at them. It

was nearly dusk, and we were five miles from the tent; we were therefore

obliged to give them up.

The next morning, at daybreak, I rode out with the greyhounds, Killbuck,

Bran and Lena, to kill a deer. The lemon grass was so high at this

season that the dogs had no chance, and I was therefore compelled to

pick out some spot which was free from this grass, and employ beaters to

drive the jungles, instead of stalking the deer in the usual manner.

I tracked a herd of deer into a large detached piece of cover, and,

sending the beaters round to the opposite side, I posted myself with the

greyhounds in the slips behind a clump of trees, upon a small plain of

low, soft grass.

The noise of the beaters approached nearer and nearer, and presently two

splendid bucks with beautiful antlers rushed from the jungle about

two hundred yards from me, and scudded over the plain. I slipped the

greyhounds, and away they went in full fly, bounding over the soft turf

in grand style.

Mounting old Jack, who was standing at my elbow, and giving him the

spur, I rode after them. It was a splendid course; the two bucks

separated, Bran and Lena taking after one, and Killbuck following the

other in his usual dashing manner. Away they went with wonderful speed,

the bucks constantly doubling to throw the dogs out; but Killbuck never

overshot his game, and as the buck doubled, he was round after him in

fine style. I now followed him, leaving Bran and Lena to do their best,

and at a killing pace we crossed the plain--through a narrow belt of

trees, down a stony hollow, over another plain, through a small

jungle, on entering which Killbuck was within a few yards of the buck's

haunches.

Now, old Jack is as fond of the sport as I am, and he kept up the chase

in good style; but just as we were flying through some high lemon grass,

a fallen tree, which was concealed beneath, tripped up the horse's

fore legs, and in an instant he was on his nose, turning a complete

somersault. I was pitched some yards, and upon instinctively mounting

again, the sparks were dancing in my eyes for some seconds before I

recovered myself, as we continued the chase with unabated speed.

We pressed along up some rising ground, having lost sight of the game;

and as we reached the top of the hill I looked around and saw the buck

at bay about a hundred paces from me, upon fine level ground, fighting

face to face with the dog, who sprang boldly at his head. That buck was

a noble fellow; he rushed at the dog, and they met like knights in a

tournament; but it was murderous work; he received the reckless hound

upon his sharp antlers and bored him to the ground. In another instant

Killbuck had recovered himself, and he again came in full fly at the

buck's face with wonderful courage; again the buck rushed forward to

meet him, and once more the pointed antlers pinned the dog, and the

buck, following up his charge, rolled him over and over for some yards.

By this time I had galloped up, and I was within a few feet of the buck,

when he suddenly sprang round with the evident intention of charging the

horse. In the same moment Killbuck seized the opportunity, and the buck

plunged violently upon the ground, with the staunch dog hanging upon his

throat. I, jumped off my horse, and the buck fell dead by a thrust with

the knife behind the shoulder.

I now examined the dog; he was wounded in several places, but as he bled

but little, I hoped that his apparent exhaustion arose more from the

fatigue of the fight than from any severe injury.

At this time Bran and Lena came up; they had lost their deer in some

high lemon grass, but they also were both wounded by the buck's horns.

I now put Killbuck and Lena together in the slips, and with the buck,

carried upon cross-poles by six men, I rode towards the tent. I had

not proceeded far when the man who was leading the greyhounds behind my

horse suddenly cried out, and on turning round I saw Killbuck lying on

the ground. I was at his side in a moment, and I released his neck

from the slips. It was too late; his languid head fell heavily upon the

earth; he gave me one parting look, and after a few faint gasps he was

gone.

I could hardly believe he was dead. Taking off my cap, I ran to a little

stream and brought some water, which I threw in his face; but his teeth

were set, his eyes were glazed, and the best and truest dog that was

ever born was dead. Poor Killbuck! he had died like a hero, and though I

grieved over him, I could not have wished him a more glorious death.

I was obliged to open him to discover the real injury. I had little

thought that the knife which had so often come to his assistance was

destined to so sad a task. His lungs were pierced through by the deer's

horns in two places, and he had died of sudden suffocation by internal

haemorrhage. A large hollow tree grew close to the spot; in this I

buried him. The stag's antlers now hang in the hall, a melancholy but

glorious memento of poor Killbuck.

In a few days my leg had so much improved that I could again use it

without much inconvenience; I therefore determined to pay the cave a

visit, as I felt convinced that elephants would be more numerous in that

neighbourhood. We started in the cool of the afternoon, as the distance

was not more than eight miles from our encampment. We had proceeded

about half-way, and our horses were picking their way with difficulty

over some rocky hills, when we came upon fresh tracks of a herd of

elephants. It was too late to go after them that evening; we therefore

pitched the tent upon the spot, resolving to track them up at daybreak

on the following morning.

We were accordingly out before sunrise, and came upon the tracks within

a mile of the tent. We at length discovered the herd upon the summit of

a steep rocky hill. There were no trees in this part, and we carefully

ascended the hill, stepping from rock to rock and occasionally

concealing ourselves in the high grass, till we at length stood at

the very feet of the elephants, two of whom were standing upon a large

platform of rock, about seven feet above us. They were so high above us

that I was obliged to aim about four inches down the trunk, so that the

ball should reach the brain in an upward direction; this shot proved

successful, and killed him. V., who had not taken this precaution,

missed; and the whole herd of eight elephants started off in full

retreat.

The rocks were so steep that it occupied some time in climbing over the

top of the hill; upon reaching which, we saw the elephants going off

at great speed, with a start of about two hundred paces. The ground was

perfectly open, covered by small loose rocks free from grass, and the

chase commenced in good earnest. With the elephants in view the whole

time, and going at a great pace, a mile was run without the possibility

of firing a shot. By this time we had arrived at an undulating country

covered with small rocks, and grass about four feet high, which made the

pace dreadfully fatiguing; still we dared not slacken the speed for an

instant lest the elephants should distance us. This was the time for

rifles to tell, although their weight (15 lbs.) was rather trying in so

long and fast a run. I was within eighty paces of the herd, and I could

not decrease the distance by a single yard. I halted and took a shot

at the ear of a large elephant in the middle of the herd. The shot so

stunned him that, instead of going on straight, he kept turning round

and round as though running after his tail; this threw the herd into

confusion, and some ran to the right and others to the left, across some

steep hollows. Running up to my wounded elephant, I extinguished him

with my remaining barrel; and getting a spare rifle from Wallace, who

was the only gun-bearer who had kept up, I floored another elephant, who

was ascending the opposite side of a hollow about forty yards off: this

fellow took two shots, and accordingly I was left unloaded. V. had made

good play with the rifles as the herd was crossing the hollow, and he

had killed three, making six bagged in all. The remaining two elephants

reached a thick jungle and escaped.

We returned to the tent, and after a bath we sat down with a glorious

appetite to breakfast, having bagged six elephants before seven o'clock

A.M.

In the afternoon we went to the cave and sent out trackers. We were

very hard up for provisions in this place: there were no deer in the

neighbourhood, and we lived upon squirrels and parrots, both of which

are excellent eating, but not very substantial fare.

The whole of this part of the country was one dark mass of high lemon

grass, which, not having been burnt, was a tangled mixture of yellow

stalks and sharp blades, that completely destroyed the pleasure of

shooting.

In this unfavourable ground we found a herd of ten elephants, and

after waiting for some time in the hope of their feeding into a better

country, we lost all patience and resolved to go in at them and do the

best we could. It was late in the afternoon, and the herd, who were well

aware of our position, had all closed up in a dense body, and with

their trunks thrown up they were trumpeting and screaming as though to

challenge us to the attack.

Pushing our way through the high grass, we got within six paces of the

elephants before they attempted to turn, and the heavy battery opened

upon them in fine style. Levelling the grass in their path, they rushed

through it in a headlong retreat, V. keeping on one flank, while I took

the other; and a race commenced, which continued for about half a mile

at full speed, the greater part of this distance being up hill. None of

these elephants proved restive; and on arriving at thick jungle two only

entered out of the ten that had composed the herd; the remaining eight

lay here and there along the line of the hunt.

Out of four herds and three rogues fired at we had bagged thirty-one

elephants in a few days' shooting. My mishap on the first day had much

destroyed the pleasure of the sport, as the exercise was too much for my

wounded leg, which did not recover from the feeling of numbness for some

months.

CHAPTER XI.

Excitement of Elephant-shooting--An Unexpected Visitor--A Long Run

with a Buck--Hard Work Rewarded--A Glorious Bay--End of a Hard Day's

Work--Bee-hunters--Disasters of Elk-hunting--Bran Wounded--'Old Smut's'

Buck--Boar at Hackgalla--Death of 'Old Smut'--Scenery from the Perewelle

Mountains--Diabolical Death of 'Merriman'--Scene of the Murder.

In describing so many incidents in elephant-shooting it is difficult to

convey a just idea of the true grandeur of the sport: it reads too easy.

A certain number are killed out of a herd after an animated chase, and

the description of the hunt details the amount of slaughter, but cannot

possibly explain the peculiar excitement which attends elephant-shooting

beyond all other sports. The size of the animal is so disproportionate

to that of the hunter that the effect of a large herd of these monsters

flying before a single man would be almost ridiculous could the chase be

witnessed by some casual observer who was proof against the excitement

of the sport. The effect of a really good elephant shot in the pursuit

of a herd over open country is very fine. With such weapons as the

double-barrelled No. 10 rifles a shot is seldom wasted; and during the

chase, an elephant drops from the herd at every puff of smoke. It is a

curious sight, and one of the grandest in the world, to see a fine rogue

elephant knocked over in full charge. His onset appears so irresistible,

and the majesty of his form so overwhelming, that I have frequently

almost mistrusted the power of man over such a beast; but one shot well

placed, with a heavy charge of powder behind the ball, reduces him in an

instant to a mere heap of flesh.

One of the most disgusting sights is a dead elephant four or five

days after the fatal shot. In a tropical climate, where decomposition

proceeds with such wonderful rapidity, the effect of the sun upon such a

mass can be readily understood. The gas generated in the inside distends

the carcass to an enormous size, until it at length bursts and becomes

in a few hours afterwards one living heap of maggots. Three weeks after

an elephant is killed, nothing remains but his bones and a small heap of

dried cases, from which the flies have emerged when the time arrived for

them to change from the form of maggots. The sight of the largest of the

animal creation being thus reduced from life to nothingness within

so short a space of time is an instance of the perishable tenure of

mortality which cannot fail to strike the most unthinking. The majesty,

the power, and the sagacity of the enormous beast are scattered in the

myriads of flies which have fed upon him.

It is a delightful change after a sporting trip of a few weeks in the

hot climates to return again to the cool and even temperature of Newera

Ellia. The tent is a pleasant dwelling when no other can be obtained,

but the comfort of a good house is never so much appreciated as on the

return from the jungle.

One great pleasure in the hunting at Newera Ellia is the ease with which

it is obtained. In fact, the sport lies at the very door. This may be

said to be literally true and not a facon de parler, as I once killed an

elk that jumped through a window. It was a singular incident. The hounds

found three elk at the same time on the mountain at the back of the

hotel at Newera Ellia. The pack divided: several hounds were lost for

two days, having taken their elk to an impossible country, and the rest

of the pack concentrated upon a doe, with the exception of old Smut,

who had another elk all to himself. This elk, which was a large doe, he

brought down from the top of the mountain to the back of the hotel,

just as we had killed the other, which the pack had brought to the same

place. A great number of persons were standing in the hotel yard to

view the sport, when old Smut and his game appeared, rushing in full

fly through the crowd. The elk was so bothered and headed that she went

through the back door of the hotel at full gallop, and Smut, with his

characteristic sagacity, immediately bolted round to the front of the

house, naturally concluding that if she went in at the back door she

must come out at the front. He was perfectly right; the old dog stood on

the lawn before the hotel, watching the house with great eagerness.

In the meantime the elk was galloping from room to room in the hotel,

chased by a crowd of people, until she at length took refuge in a lady's

bedroom, from which there was no exit, as the window was closed. The

crash of glass may be imagined as an animal as large as a pony leaped

through it; but old Smut was ready for her, and after a chase of a few

yards he pulled her down. This is the only instance that I have ever

known of an elk entering a building, although it is a common occurrence

with hunted deer in England. An elk found on the top of Pedro talla

Galla, which rises from the plain of Newera Ellia, will generally run

straight down the mountain, and, unless headed, he will frequently come

to bay in the river close to the hotel, which is situated at the foot of

the mountain. This, however, is not a rule without an exception, as the

elk on some occasions takes a totally different direction, and gives a

hard day's work. It was on July 27, 1852, that I had a run of this kind.

It was six A.M. when my youngest brother and I started from the foot

of Pedro to ascend the mountain. The path is three miles long, through

jungle the whole way to the summit. There were fresh tracks of elk near

the top of the mountain; the dew lay heavily upon the leaves, and the

scent was evidently strong, as Merriman and Ploughboy, the two leading

hounds, dashed off upon it, followed by the whole pack. In a few minutes

we heard them in full cry about a quarter of a mile from us, going

straight down the hill. Giving them a good holloa, we started off down

the path at a round pace, and in less than a quarter of an hour we were

at the foot of the mountain on the plain. Here we found a number of

people who had headed the elk (a fine buck) just as he was breaking

cover, and he had turned back, taking off to some other line of country

at a great pace, as we could not hear even a whimper. This was enough

to make a saint swear, and, blessing heartily the fellows who had headed

him, we turned back and retraced our steps up the mountain to listen for

the cry of the pack among the numerous ravines which furrow the sides.

It was of no use; we could hear nothing but the mocking chirp of birds

and the roaring of the mountain torrents. Not a sign of elk or dogs.

The greyhounds were away with the pack, and knowing that the dogs would

never leave him till dark, we determined not to give them up. No less

than three times in the course of the day did we reascend the mountain

to listen for them in vain. We went up to the top of the Newera Ellia

Pass, in the hope of hearing them in that direction, but with the same

want of success. Miles of ground were gone over to no purpose. Scaling

the steep sides of the mountains at the back of the barracks, we

listened among the deep hollows on the other side, but again we were

disappointed; the sound of the torrents was all that we could hear.

Descending again to the plain, we procured some breakfast at a friend's

house, and we started for the Matturatta Plains. These plains are about

three or four miles from the barracks; and I had a faint hope that the

buck might have crossed over the mountain, and descended into this

part of the country to a river which flows through the patinas. We now

mounted our horses, having been on foot all the morning. It was three

o'clock P.M., and, with little hope of finding the dogs, we rode along

the path towards the Matturatta Plains.

We had just entered the forest, when we met a young hound returning

along the path with a wound from a buck's horn in the shoulder. There

was now no doubt of the direction, and we galloped along the path

towards the plains as hard as we could go. About half way to the plains,

to my joy I saw an immense buck's track in the path going in the same

direction; the toes were spread wide apart, showing the pace at which he

had been going; and there were dogs' tracks following him, all as fresh

as could be. This was a gladdening sight after a hard day's work, and we

gave a random cheer to encourage any dogs that might be within hearing,

rattling our horses over the ground at their best speed.

At last the plains were reached. We pulled up our panting steeds, and

strained every nerve to hear the cry of the hounds. The snorting of the

horses prevented our hearing any distant sound, and I gave a holloa and

listened for some answering voice from a dog. Instead of a sound, Bran

and Lucifer suddenly appeared. This was conclusive evidence that the

pack was somewhere in this direction, and we rode out into the plain and

again listened. Hark to old Smut! there was his deep voice echoing from

the opposite hills. Yoick to him, Bran! forward to him, Lucifer!

and away the greyhounds dashed towards the spot from which the sound

proceeded. The plain forms a wide valley, with a river winding through

the centre, and we galloped over the patinas after the greyhounds in

full speed. There was no mistaking the bay. I could now distinguish

Merriman's fine voice in addition to that of old Smut, and a general

chorus of other tongues joined in, till the woods rang again. The horses

knew the sport, and away they went, but suddenly over went old Jack,

belly-deep in a bog, and sent me flying over his head. There is nothing

like companionship in an accident, and Momus accordingly pitched upon

his nose in the same bog, my brother describing a fine spread-eagle as

he sprawled in the soft ground, We were close to the bay; the horses

extricated themselves directly, and again mounting we rode hard to the

spot

The buck was at bay in the river, and the exhausted dogs were yelling at

him from the bank. The instant that we arrived and cheered them on,

old Smut came from the pack towards us with an expression of perfect

delight; he gave himself two or three rolls on the grass, and then went

to the fight like a lion. The buck, however, suddenly astonished the

whole pack by jumping out of the river, and, charging right through

them, he started over the plain towards the jungle, with the hounds

after him. He had refreshed himself by standing for so long in the

cold stream, while the dogs, on the contrary, were nearly worn out. He

reached the jungle with the whole pack at his heels; but after doubling

backward and forward in the forest for about five minutes, we heard the

crash in the bushes as he once more rushed towards the plain, and he

broke cover in fine style, with the three greyhounds, Bran, Lucifer and

Lena, at his haunches. In another instant he was seized, but he fell

with such a shock that it threw the greyhounds from their hold, and

recovering himself with wonderful quickness, he went down the slope

towards the river at a tremendous pace. The greyhounds overtook him just

as he gained the steep bank of the river, and they all rolled over in a

confused crowd into the deep water.

The next moment the buck was seen swimming proudly down the river, with

the pack following him down the stream in full cry. Presently he gained

his footing, and, disdaining farther flight, he turned bravely upon the

hounds.

He was a splendid fellow; his nostrils were distended, his mane was

bristled up, and his eyes flashed, as, rearing to his full height, he

plunged forward and struck the leading dogs under the water. Not a

dog could touch him; one by one they were beaten down and half-drowned

beneath the water. Old Smut was to the front as usual: down the old dog

was beaten, but he reappeared behind the elk's shoulder, and the next

moment he was hanging on his ear. The poor old dog had lost so many of

his teeth in these encounters that he could not keep his hold, and

the buck gave a tremendous spring forward, shaking off the old dog and

charging through the pack, sinking nearly half of them for a few moments

beneath the water. He had too much pluck to fly farther, and, after

wading shoulder-deep against the stream for a few yards, he turned

majestically round, and, facing the baying pack, he seemed determined

to do or die. I never saw a finer animal; there was a proud look of

defiance in his aspect that gave him a most noble appearance; but at

that time he had little pity bestowed upon him.

There he stood ready to meet the first dog. Old Smut had been thrown

to the rear as the buck turned, and Lena came beautifully to the front,

leading the whole pack. There was a shallow sandbank in the river where

the bitch could get a footing, and she dashed across it to the attack.

The buck met her in her-advance by a sudden charge, which knocked her

over and over, but at the same instant Valiant, who is a fine, powerful

dog, made a clever spring forward and pinned the buck by the ear. There

was no shaking him off, and he was immediately backed up by Ploughboy,

who caught the other ear most cleverly. There the two dogs hung like

ear-rings as the buck, rearing up, swung them to and fro, but could not

break their hold. In another moment the greyhounds were upon him-the

whole pack covered him; his beautiful form was seen alternately rearing

from the water with the dogs hanging upon him in all directions, then

struggling in a confused mass nearly beneath the surface of the stream.

He was a brave fellow, and had fought nobly, but there was no hope for

him, and we put an end to the fight with the hunting-knife.

It was past four o'clock P.M., and he had been found at seven A.M., but

the conclusion fully repaid us for the day's work. The actual distance

run by the buck was not above eight miles, but we had gone about twenty

during the day, the greater portion of which was over most fatiguing

ground.

On an open country an elk would never be caught without greyhounds until

he had run fifteen or twenty miles. The dense jungles fatigue him as he

ploughs his way through them, and thus forms a path for the dogs behind

him. How he can move in some of these jungles is an enigma; a horse

would break his legs, and, in fact, could not stir in places through

which an elk passes in full gallop.

The principal underwood in the mountain districts of Ceylon is the

'nillho.' This is a perfectly straight stem, from twelve to twenty feet

in length, and about an inch and a half in diameter, having no branches

except a few small arms at the top, which are covered with large leaves.

This plant, in proportion to its size, grows as close as corn in a

field, and forms a dense jungle most difficult to penetrate. When the

jungles are in this state, the elk is at a disadvantage, as the immense

exertion required to break his way through this mass soon fatigues him,

and forces him to come to bay.

Every seven years this 'nillho' blossoms. The jungles are then neither

more nor less than vast bouquets of bright purple and white flowers; the

perfume is delicious, and swarms of bees migrate from other countries

to make their harvest of honey. The quantity collected is extraordinary.

The bee-hunters start from the low country, and spend weeks in the

jungle in collecting the honey and wax. When looking over an immense

tract of forest from some elevated point, the thin blue lines of

smoke may be seen rising in many directions, marking the sites of the

bee-hunters fires. Their method of taking the honey is simple enough.

The bees' nests hang from the boughs of the trees, and a man ascends

with a torch of green leaves, which creates a dense smoke. He approaches

the nest and smokes off the swarm, which, on quitting the exterior of

the comb, exposes a beautiful circular mass of honey and wax, generally

about eighteen inches in diameter and six inches thick. The bee-hunter

being provided with vessels formed from the rind of the gourd attached

to ropes, now cuts up the comb and fills his chatties, lowering them

down to his companions below.

When the blossom of the nillho fades, the seed forms; this is a sweet

little kernel, with the flavour of a nut. The bees now leave the

country, and the jungles suddenly swarm, as though by magic, with

pigeons, jungle-fowl, and rats. At length the seed is shed and the

nillho dies.

The jungles then have a curious appearance. The underwood being dead,

the forest-trees rise from a mass of dry sticks like thin hop-poles.

The roots of these plants very soon decay, and a few weeks of high wind,

howling through the forest, levels the whole mass, leaving the trees

standing free from underwood. The appearance of the ground can now be

imagined-a perfect chaos of dead sticks and poles, piled one on the

other, in every direction, to a depth of between two and three feet.

It can only be compared to a mass of hurdles being laid in a heap. The

young nillho grows rapidly through this, concealing the mass of dead

sticks beneath, and forms a tangled barrier which checks both dogs and

man. With tough gaiters to guard the shins, we break through by main

force and weight, and the dogs scramble sometimes over, sometimes under

the surface. At this period the elk are in great numbers, as they feed

with great avidity upon the succulent young nillho. The dogs are now at

a disadvantage. While they are scrambling with difficulty through this

mass of half-rotten sticks, the elk bounds over it with ease, leaving no

path behind him, as he clears it by leaps, and does not exhaust himself

by bursting through it. He now constantly escapes, and leaves the pack

miles behind; the best hounds follow him, but with such a start he leads

them into the unknown depths of the jungles, over high mountains and

across deep ravines, from which the lost dogs frequently never return.

There can be no question that it is a bad country for hunting at all

times, as the mass of forest is so disproportionate to the patinas; but,

on the other hand, were the forests of smaller size there would be

less game. Elk-hunting is, on the whole, fine sport. There are many

disappointments constantly occurring, but these must happen in all

sports. The only important drawback to the pleasure of elk-hunting is

the constant loss of the dogs. The best are always sure to go. What

with deaths by boars, leopards, elk, and stray hounds, the pack is with

difficulty maintained. Puppies are constantly lost in the commencement

of their training by straying too far into the jungle, and sometimes by

reckless valour. I lost a fine young greyhound, Lancer, own brother to

Lucifer, in this way. It was his first day with the pack.

We found a buck who came to bay in a deep rocky torrent, where the dogs

had no chance with him, and he amused himself by striking them under

water at his pleasure. He at length took his stand among some large

rocks, between which the torrent rushed with great rapidity previous to

its descent over a fall of sixty feet.

In this impregnable position young Lancer chose to distinguish himself,

and with a beautiful spring he flew straight at the buck's head; but the

elk met him with a tremendous blow with the fore feet, which broke his

back, and the unfortunate Lancer was killed in his first essay and swept

over the waterfall. This buck was at bay for two hours before he was

killed.

A veteran seizer is generally seamed with innumerable scars. Poor old

Bran, who, being a thoroughbred greyhound, is too fine in the skin for

such rough hunting, has been sewn up in so many places that he is a

complete specimen of needlework. If any dog is hurt in a fight with elk

or boar, it is sure to be old Bran. He has now a scar from a wound that

was seven inches in length, which he received from a buck whose horns

are hanging over my door.

I had started with the pack at daybreak, and I was riding down the

Badulla road, about a mile from the kennel, when the whole pack suddenly

took up a scent off the road, and dashed into the jungle in full cry.

The road was enclosed by forest on either side. The pack had evidently

divided upon two elk, as they were running in different directions.

Starting off down the pass, I soon reached the steep patinas, and I

heard the pack coming down through the jungle which crowns the hills on

the left of the road. There was a crush in the underwood, and the

next moment a fine buck broke cover and went away along the hillside.

Merriman and Tiptoe were the two leading dogs, and they were not fifty

yards behind him. Old smut came tearing along after them, and I gave

Bran a holloa and slipped him immediately. It was a beautiful sight

to see Bran fly along the patina: across the swampy bottom, taking

the broad stream in one bound, and skimming up the hill, he was on the

buck's path in a few minutes, pulling up to him at every stride. He

passed the few dogs that were in chase like lightning, and in a few more

bounds he was at the buck's side. With a dexterous blow, however, the

buck struck him with his fore foot, and sent him rolling down the hill

with a frightful gash in his side. The buck immediately descended the

hillside, and came to bay in a deep pool in the river. Regardless of his

wound, old Bran followed him; Smut and the other dogs joined, and there

was a fine bay, the buck fighting like a hero. The dogs could not touch

him, as he was particularly active with his antlers.

I jumped into the water and gave them a cheer, on which the buck

answered immediately by charging at me. I met him with the point of my

hunting-knife in the nose, which stopped him, and in the same moment old

Smut was hanging on his ear, having pinned him the instant that I had

occupied his attention. Bran had the other ear just as I had given him

the fatal thrust. In a few seconds the struggle was over. Bran's wound

was four inches wide and seven inches long.

My brother had a pretty run with the doe with the other half of the

pack, and we returned home by eight A.M., having killed two elk.

Daybreak is the proper time to be upon the ground for elk-hunting. At

this hour they have only just retired to the jungle after their night's

wandering on the patinas, and the hounds take up a fresh scent, and save

the huntsman the trouble of entering the jungle. At a later hour the elk

have retired so far into the jungle that much time is lost in finding

them, and they are not so likely to break cover as when they are just on

the edge of the forest. I had overslept myself one morning when I

ought to have been particularly early, as we intended to hunt at the

Matturatta Plains, a distance of six miles. The scent was bad, and the

sun was excessively hot; the dogs were tired and languid. It was two

o'clock P.M., and we had not found, and we were returning through the

forest homewards, having made up our minds for a blank day.