N^' '^'^r^^o^ ^; "Mi '^^'^; ^oWrny^ Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2010 with funding from The, Library of Cong/ess o 0' .-^^^\ ^ <^ -^, .^ :^ X- v^ ^^ V http://www.archive.org/details/riflehoundinceyl01 bal^e -'f* rO ^ ■* -i^ •XV N 3o. .^^ "'^^ A^' /? '-^ ^'^^> .^\^'' c,^ ''^^ vA' ,^ V I 8 3 0^ ct-. '- .\ ^■ - V 3o. r;^ l~ "^^ •tf-. * "'^ ,s^\^^ ./ \V V xO=i- V .V V- .^^ 5 0' .-^^ '\^ .^: .^'^^■ ^■•^^ ^*_ .x\ .-^^ ^ o sV A- V "c- ^J ?».,tS^fl> niftuC».Ttof« Qf TMI ftgyrctf>^y^EWY ev:^TAHj^lC&ur£f^9vTUfi^ ^Jfife'Vol- 6, No. «J7. Oct. 1, IMS. Annual Subscription, $50,004ft^l THE RIFLE AND HOUND CEYLON. \e ^° / BAKER. if t«red ftt th«? Poit Office, X. Y., as second-class matt«r. Copyright, 1883, by John W. Lovkll Co. ■HHHOiBBIBBiBBBHHl •i > lit C&OXX BDnzW % fltli vftum mi I»«Mmiagdalen, by Collins.. 20 81. 23. Divorce, by >f Rr^aret Lee 20 82. 26. Life of Waphinjfion, by Henley.. 20 83. 27. Social Etiquett*, by lirs. Saville.-US 28. Single Heart and Double Face. .]0- 84. 29. Irene, by Carl Detlef 20 80. VIc« Versa, by P. Anstey 30 85. 81. Erneet Maitravprs, by LordLytton20 86. S3. Tke Haunted House and Calderon 87. the Courtier, by Lord Lytton. . 10 88. S3. John Halifax, bv Mi?«s Mulock. . .20 89. 8 i. 800 Le»eue» on the Arnason . . 10 90. 35. The Cryptogram, by Jules Verne. 10 91. 35. Life of Marion, by Horry .20 37. Paul «nd Virgini*. 10 93. 38. Tale of Two Cities, by Dickens. .2 ) 93. aO. The Hermits, by Kingsley 20 94. 40. An Adventure in Thule, and Mar- riage of Moira Fergus, Black .10 95. 41. A Marriage in t igh Life 20 4-2. Robin, by Mrs. Parr 20 96. 43. TwoonaTower, byThos Hardy.20 97. 44. Ras?elas, bySamuelJohneon 10 98, 45. Alice; or, the Mysteries, being 99. Part II. of Frnest Maltravers. .SO 100. 46. Duke of Kandos, by A. Mathey. ..20 47. Baron Munchausen 10 101. 48. A Princess of Thule, by Black.. 20 102. 49. The Secret Despatch, by Grant, 20 50. Early Days of Christianity, by 103. Canon Farrar, D D , Part I. . . .20 Early Days of Christianity, Pt. 11.20 104. 51. Vicar of Wakefield, by Goldsmith. 10 52. Progress and Poverty, by Henry 105. G»orge 20 53. The Spy, by Cooper ....20 106. 54. East Lynne, by Mrs. Wood... 20 55. A Strange Story, by Lord Lytton.. .20 107. 56. Adam Bede, by Eliot, Part 1 15 Adam Bede, Part II 15 108. 67. The Golden Shaft, by Gibbon. . . .20 109. 5S. Portia, by The Duchess 20 110. 59. Last Days of Pompeii, by Lytton.. 20 l 111. 90. The Two Duchesses, by Mathey. .20 112. 61. Tom Browns School Days 20' The Wooing O't, by Mrs. Alex- ander, PartI The Wooing 0"t, Part II The Vendetta, by Balzac Hypatia.by 1 has. Kingsley,? 1 1 Hypatia, by Kingsley, Part II. . . Selma, by Mrs. J. G. Smith Margaret and her Bridesmaids. Horse Shoe Robinson, Parti... Horse Shoe Robinson, Part II. . Gulliver's Travels, by Swift Amos Barton, by George Eliot.. The Berber, bv W E . Mayo .... Silas Marner^ by Ger.rge ISliot. . The Queen of the County Life of Cromwell, by Hood.. Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte Child's History of Eiigland Molly Bawn, by The Duchess.. Pill nf^, by Wiiliam BergsOe,... Phyllis, by The Duchess Eomola, by Geo. Eliot, Pai 1 1. . , Romola, by Geo, Eliot, Part 11. . Science in Short Chapters Zanoni, by Lord Ly i ton A Daughter of Helh The Right and Wrong U^es of the Bible, R. Heber Newton. . N'ght and Morning. Pt. I Night and l-'orning. Part II Shandon Bells, by Wm. Black. , Monica, by the Duchess ileatt and Science, by Collins. . . The Golden Calf, by Braddon. . . The Dean's Daughter Mrs. Geoffrey, by The Duchess. . Pickv/ick Papers, Part I Pickwi'^k Papers, Part II Airy, Fairy Li lian, 1 he Duchess . McLeod of Dare, by Wm. Black, Tempest Tossed, by Tilton P tl Tempest To8sed,by Til ton. P til Letters from High Latitudes, by Lord jjufferin Gideon Fie ce, by Lucy India and Cevlon, by E. Hseclcel . . The Gy p.«y Queen The Admiral's Ward > import, by E. L. Bynner, P't I . . Nimport. byE. L Bynner, Pt II. Harry Holbrooke Tritons, by E. L. Bynner . P't I . . . Tritons, by E. L. Bynner F tll . Let Nothing You Dit'^iay, by Walter Besant Lady Audley's Secret, >y Miss M . E. Braddon Woman's Place To-day by Mrs. Lillie Devereux Blake Dunallan, by Kennedy, Parti. . Dunallan, by Kennedy, Part II. . Housekeeping and Home- mak- ing, by Marion Harland. > Ne No New Thing, by W. E. Norris. The Spoopendyke Papers False Hopes, by Goklwin Smith. Labor and Capital Wanda, by Ouida, Parti W.inda, by Ouida. Part II ...... . .15 .15 .SO .15 Af) .15 .20 .15 .15 .20 .10 .20 .10 .20 .15 .fO .20 .20 .15 20 .15 .15 .20 .20 .20 .20 .15 ,15 .£0 10 .20 .20 .20 .20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 ,20 20 20 ,15 15 .20 15 15 10 20 20 15 15 15 20 20 1 ' 2t THE RIFLE AND HOUND IN CEYLON. BY Sir SAMUEL W. BAKER, M.A., F.R.G.S. NEW YORK: JOHN- W. LOVELL COMPANY, 14 AND 16 Vesey Street. y CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. rAoi Wild Country— Dealings in the Marvelous — Enchanting Mo- ments—The Wild Elephant of Ceylon—" Rogues "—Elephant Slaughter— Thick Jungles — Character of the Country— Varie- ties of Game in Ceylon— " Battery for Ceylon Sport "—The Elk, or " Samber Deer " — Deer-coursing 13 CHAPTER 11. Newera Ellia — The Turn-out for Elk-hunting — Elk-hunting— Elk turned to Bay— The Boar 33 CHAPTER iTr. Minneria Lake — Brush with a Bull — An Awkward Vis-a-vis. — A Bright Thought — Bull Buffalo receives his Small Change — What is Man ? — Long Shot with the Four-ounce — Charged by a Herd of Buffaloes — The Four-ounce does Service — The "Lola" — A Woman killed by a Crocodile — Crocodile at Bol- godde Lake — A Monster Crocodile — Death of a Crocodile. . . 42 CHAPTER IV. Equipment for a Hunting Trip — In Chase of a Herd of Ele- phants — Hard Work — Close Quarters — Six Feet from the Muzzle — A Black with a Devil 65 9 lo Contents, CHAPTER V. PAai The Four-ounce Again — Tidings of a Rogue — Approaching a Tank Rogue — An Exciting Moment — Ruins of Pollanarua — Ancient Ruins — Rogues at Doolana— B. charged by a Rogue — Planning an Attack — A Check — Narrow Escape — Rogue- stalking — A Bad Rogue — Dangers of Elephant-shooting — The Rhatamahatmeya's Tale. 75 CHAPTER VI. 'haracter of the Veddahs — Description of the Veddahs — A Mo- narnpitya Rogue — Attacking the Rogue — Breathless Excite- ment — Death of a Large Rogue— Utility of the Four-ounce — A Curious Shot — Fury of a Bull Buffalo — Character of the Wild Buffalo — Buffalo-shooting at Minneria Lake— Charge in High Reeds — Close of a Good Day's Sport — Last Day at Minneria — A Large Snake — An Unpleasant Bedfellow 101 CHAPTER Vn. Capabilities of Ceylon — Deer at Illepecadewe — Sagacity of a Pa- riah Dog— Two Deer at One Shot — Deer-stalking — Hamban- totte Country — Kattregsffn Festival — Sitrawelle — Ruins of Ancient Mahagam — Wiharewelle — A Night Attack upon Ele- phants — Shooting by Moonlight— Yalle River — Another Rogue — A Stroll before Breakfast — A Curious Shot — A Good Day's Sport 128 CHAPTER VIIL Best Hounds for Elk-hunting— Smut — Killbuck — The Horton Plains— A Second Soyer— The Find— The Buck at Bay— The Bay — The Death — Return of Lost Dogs — Comparative Speed of Deer — Veddah Ripped by a Boar — A Melee — Buck at Black Pool — Old Smut's Ruse — Margosse Oil 153 Contents. t \ CHAPTER IX. PAGH A Morning's Deer-coursing— Kondawataweny— Rogue at Kon- dawataweny — A Close Shave — Preparations for Catching an Elephant — Catching an Elephant — Taming Him— Flying Shot at a Buck — Cave at Dimboold^n^ — Awkward Ground — A Charmed Life lyg 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 Bear— Death of " Killbuck "—Good Sport with a Herd —End of the Trip 176 CHAPTER XL 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 P^re- well^ Mountains— Diabolical Death of " Merriman " — Scene of the Murder 221 CHAPTER XIL A JuNGLB Trip 244 CHAPTER XIIL Conclusion 304 THE Rifle and Hound. CHAPTER I. Wild Country — Dealings in the Marvelous — Enchant- ing Moments — The Wild Elephant of Ceylon — *' E ogues " — Elephant Slaughter— Thick Jungles — Character of the Country — Varieties of Game in Ceylon — " Battery for Ceylon Sport " — The Elk, or " Samber Deer " — Deer Coursing. IT is a difficult task to describe a wild country so exactly that a stranger's eye shall at once be made acquainted with its scenery and character by the description. And yet this is absohitely necessary if the narration of sports in foreign countries is supposed to interest those who have never had the opportunity of enjoying them. The want of graphic description of localities in which the events have occurred is the prin- cipal cause of that tediousness which generally accom- panies the steady perusal of a sporting work. You can read twenty pages with interest, but a monotony soon pervades it, and sport then assumes an appearance of mere slaughter. Now, the actual killing of an animal, the death itself, is not sport, unless the circumstances connected with it i 13 14 The Rifle and Hound in Ceylon. are such as to create that pecuh'ar feeling which can only be expressed by the word " sport." This feeling cannot exist in the heart of a butcher ; he would as soon slaughter a fine buck by tying him to a post and knocking him down, as he would shoot him in his wild native haunts — the actual moment of death, the fact of killing, is his enjoyment. To a true sportsman the enjoyment of a sport increases in proportion to the wildness of the country. Catch a six-pound trout in a quiet mill-pond in a populous manufacturing neighbor- hood, with well-cultivated meadows on either side of the stream, fat cattle grazing on the rich pasturage, and, perhaps, actually watching you as you land your fish : it may be sport. But catch a similar fish far from the haunts of men, in a boiling, rocky torrent sur- rounded by heathery mountains, where the shadow of a rod has seldom been reflected in the stream, and you cease to think the former fish worth catching ; still he is the same size, showed the, same courage, had the same perfection of condition, and yet you cannot allow that it was sport compared with this wild stream. If you see no difference in the excitement, you are not a sportsman ; you would as soon catch him in a washing tub, and you should buy your fish when you require him ; but never use a rod, or you would disgrace fhe hickory. This feeling of a combination of wild country with the presence of the game itself to form a real sport is most keenly manifested when we turn our attention to the rifle. This noble weapon is thrown away in an enclosed country. The smooth-bore may and does afford delightful sport upon our cultivated fields ; but even that pleasure is doubled when those enclosui es no Wild Country. 15 longer intervene, and the wide-spreading moors and morasses of Scotland give an idea of freedom and undisturbed nature. Who can compare grouse with partridge shooting? Still the difference exists, not so much in the character of the bird as in the features of the country. It is the wild aspect of the heathery moor without a bound, except the rugged outline of the mountains upon the sk}', that gives such a charm to the grouse-shooting in Scotland, and renders the deer-stalk- ing such a favorite sport among the happy few who can enjoy it. All this proves that the simple act of killing is not sport; if it were, the Zoological Gardens would form as fine a field to an elephant shot as the wildest Indian jungle. Man is a bloodthirsty animal, a beast of prey, instinctively ; but let us hope that a true sportsman is not a savage, delighting in nothing but death, but that his pursuits are qualified by a love of nature, of noble scenery, of all the wonderful productions which the earth gives forth in different latitudes. He should thoroughly understand the nature and habits of every beast or bird that he looks upon as game. This last attribute is indispensable ; without it he may kill, but he is not a sportsman. We have, therefore, come to the conclusion that the character of a country influences the character of the sport. The first question, therefore, that an experienced man would ask at the recital of a sporting anecdote would be, " What kind of country is it?" That being clearly described to him, he follows you through every word of your tale with a true interest, and in fact joins in imagination in the chase. i6 The Rifle and Hound in Ceylon. There is one great drawback to the publication of sporting adventures — they always appear to deal not a little in the marvelous ; and this effect is generally heightened by the use of the first person in writing, which at all events may give an egotistical character to a work. This, however, cannot easily be avoided if a person is describing his own adventures, and he labors under the disadvantage of being criticised by readers who do not know him personally, and may, therefore, give him credit for gross exaggeration. It is this feeling that deters many men who have passed through years of wild sports from publishing an account of them. The fact of being able to laugh in your sleeve at the ignorance of a reader who does not credit you is but a poor compensation for being con- sidered a better shot with a long bow than with a rifle. Often have I pitied Gordon Gumming when I have heard him talked of as a palpable Munchausen by men who never fired a rifle, or saw a wild beast, except in a cage ; and still these men form the greater proportion of the " readers" of these works. Men who have not seen cannot understand the gran- deur of wild sports in a wild country. There is an in- describable feeling of supremacy in a man who under- stands his game thoroughly, when he stands upon some elevated point and gazes over the wild territory of savage beasts. He feels himself an invader upon the solitudes of nature. The very stillness of the scene is his delight. There is a mournful silence in the calm- ness of the evening, when the tropical sun sinks upon the horizon — a conviction that man has left this region undisturbed to its wild tenants. No hum of distant roices, no rumbling of busy wheels, no cries of domestic Enchanting Moments. \h animals meet the ear. He stands upon a wilderness, pathless and untrodden by the foot of civilization, where no sound is ever heard but that of the elements, when the thunder rolls among the towering forests or the wind howls along the plains. He gazes far, far into the distance, where the blue mountains melt into an in- definite haze ; he looks above him to the rocky pinnacles which spring from the level plain, their swarthy cliffs glistening from the recent shower, and patches of rich verdure clinging to precipices a thousand feet above him. His eye stretches along the grassy plains, taking at one full glance a survey of woods, and rocks, and streams; and imperceptibly his mind wanders to thoughts of home, and in one moment scenes long left behind are conjured up by memory, and incidents are recalled which banish for a time the scene before him. Lost for a moment in the enchanting power of solitude, where fancy and reality combine in their most bewitch- ing forms, he is suddenly roused by a distant sound made doubly loud by the surrounding silence — the shrill trumpet of an elephant. He wakes from his reverie ; the reality of the present scene is at once manifested. He stands within a wilderness where the monster of the forest holds dominion ; he knows not what a day, not even what a moment, may bring forth ; he trusts in a protecting Power and in the heavy rifle, and he is shortly upon the track of the king of beasts. The king of beasts is generally acknowledged to be ine " lion ;" but no one who has seen a wild elephant can doubt for a moment that the title belongs to him in his own right. Lord of all created animals in might and sagacity, the elephant roams through his native forests. He browses upon the lofty branches, upturns 2* B l8 The Rifle and Hound in Ceylon. young trees from sheer malice, and from plain to forest he stalks majestically at break of day, " monarch of all he surveys." A person who has never seen a wild elephant can form no idea of his real character, either mentally or physically. The unwieldy and sleepy-looking beast, I who, penned up in his cage at a menagerie, receives a sixpence in his trunk, and turns around with difficulty to deposit it in a box ; whose mental powers seem to be concentrated in the idea of receiving buns tossed into a gaping mouth by children's hands, — this very beast may have come from a warlike stock. His sire may have been the terror of a district, a pitiless high- wayman, whose soul thirsted for blood ; who, lying in wait in some thick bush, would rush upon the unwary passer-by, and know no pleasure greater than the act of crushing his victim to a shapeless mass beneath his feet. How little does his tame sleepy son resemble him ! Instead of browsing on the rank vegetation of w^ild pasturage, he devours plum-buns ; instead of bathing his giant form in the deep rivers and lakes of his native land, he steps into a stone-lined basin to bathe before the eyes of a pleased multitude, the whole of whom form their opinion of elephants in general from the broken-spirited monster that they see before them. I have even heard people exclaim, upon hearing anecdotes of elephant-hunting, " Poor things ! " Poor things, indeed ! I should like to see the very person who thus expresses his pity going at his best pace with a savage elephant after him : give him a lawn to run upon if he likes, and see the elephant gain- ing a foot in every yard of the chase, fire in his eye, fiirv in his headlong charge ; and would not the flying The Wild Elephant of Ceylon. 19 gentleman who lately exclaimed " Poor thing ! '* be thankful to the lucky bullet that would save him from destruction ? * There are no animals more misunderstood than elephants ; they are naturally savage, wary and revengeful, displaying as great courage when in their wild state as any animal known. The fact of their great natural sagacity renders them the more dangerous as foes. Even when tamed there are many that are not safe for a stranger to approach, and they are then only kept in awe by the sharp driving hook of the mohout. In their domesticated state I have seen them perform wonders of sagacity and strength ; but I have nothing to do with tame elephants ; there are whole books written upon the subject, although the habits of an elephant can be described in a few words. All wild animals in a tropical country avoid the sun. They wander forth to feed upon the plains in the evening and during the night, and they return to the jungle shortly after sunrise. Elephants have the same habits. In those parts of the country where such pasturage abounds as bamboo, lemon grass, sedges on the banks of rivers, lakes and swamps, elephants are sure to be found at such sea- sons as are most propitious for the growth of these plants. When the dry weather destroys this supply of food in one district, they migrate to another part of the country. They come forth to feed about 4 p. m., and they inva- riably retire to the thickest and most thorny jungle in the neighborhood of their feeding-place by 7 A. M. In these impenetrable haunts they consider themselves secure from aggression. 20 The Rifle and Houizd in Ceylon, The period of gestation with an elephant is supposed to be two years, and the time occupied in attaining full growth is about sixtedf]^ years. The whole period of life is supposed to be a hundred years, but my own opinion would increase that period by fifty. The height of elephants varies to a great degree, and in all cases is very deceiving. Iri Ceylon an ele- phant is measured at the shoulder, and nine feet at this point Is a very large animal. There is no doubt that many elephants far exceed this, as I have shot them so large that two tall men could lie at full length from the point of the fore foot to the shoulder ; but this is not a common size ; the average height at the shoulder would be about seven feet. Not more than one in three hundred has tusks ; they are merely provided with short grubbers, projecting generally about three inches from the upper jaw, and about two inches in diameter ; these are called " tushes" in Ceylon, and are of so little value that they are not worth extracting from the head. They are useful to the elephants in hooking on to a branch and tearing it down. Elephants are gregarious, and the average number in a herd is about eight, although they frequently form bodies of fifty and even eighty in one troop. Each herd consists of a very large proportion of females, and they are constantly met without a single bull in their num- ber. I have seen some small herds formed exclusively of bulls, but this is very rare. The bull is much larger than the female, and is generally more savage. His habits frequently induce him to prefer solitude to a gre- garious life. He then becomes doubly vicious. He seldom strays many miles from one locality, which he haunts for many years. He becomes what is termed a " rogue." He then waylays the natives, and in fact becomes a scourge to the neighborhood, attacking the inoffensive without the slightest provocation, carrying destruction into the natives' paddy-fields, and perfectly regardless of night fires or the usual precautions for scaring wild beasts. The daring pluck of these " rogues " is only equaled by their extreme cunning. Endowed with that won- derful power of scent peculiar to elephants, he travels in the day-time down the wind ; thus nothing can fol- low upon his track without his knowledge. He winds his enemy as the cautious hunter advances noiselessly upon his track, and he stands with ears thrown for- ward, tail erect, trunk thrown high in the air, with its distended tip pointed to the spot from which he winds the silent but approaching danger. Perfectly motionless does he stand, like a statue in ebony, the very essence of attention, every nerve of scent and hearing stretched to its cracking point ; not a muscle moves, not a sound of a rustling branch against his rough sides ; he is a mute figure of wild and fierce eagerness. Meanwhile, the wary tracker stoops to the ground, and with a prac- ticed eye pierces the tangled brushwood in search of his colossal feet. Still farther and farther he silently creeps forward, when suddenly a crash bursts through the jun- gle ; the moment has arrived for the ambushed charge, and the elephant is upon him. What increases the danger is the uncertainty prevail- ing in all the movements of a " rogue." You may per- haps see him upon a plain or in a forest. As you advance he retreats, or he may at once charge. Should he retreat, you follow him ; but you may shortly dis- 22 The Rifle and Hound in Ceylon, cover that he is leading you to some favorite haunt oi thick jungle or high grass, from which, when you least expect it, he will suddenly burst out in full charge upon you. Next to a " rogue" in ferocity, and even more perse- vering in the pursuit of her victim, is a female elephant when her young one has been killed. In such a case she will generally follow up her man until either he or she is killed. If any young elephants are in the herd, the mothers frequently prove awkward customers. Elephant-shooting is doubtless the most dangerous of all sports if the game is invariably followed up ; but there is a great difierence between elephant-killing and €i^'g\\?i'i\\rhunting ; : the latter is sport, the former is slaughter. Many persons who have killed many elephants know literally nothing about the sport, and they may even leave Ceylon with the idea that an elephant is not a dangerous animal. There elephants are killed in this way, viz : The party of sportsmen, say two or three, arrive at a certain district. The headman is sent for from the village ; he arrives. The inquiry respecting the vicinity of elephants is made ; a herd is reported to be in the neighborhood, and trackers and watchers are sent out to find them. In the mean time, the tent is pitched, our friends are employed in unpacking the guns, and, after some hours have elapsed, the trackers return : they have found the herd, and the watchers are left to observe them. The guns are loaded and the party starts. The track- ers run quickly on the track until they meet one of the watchers who has been sent back upon the track by the other watchers to give the requisite information of the Elephant Slaughter, 23 movements of the herd since the trackers left. One tracker now leads the way, and they cautiously proceed. The boughs are heard slightly rustling as the unconscious elephants are fanning the flies from their bodies within a hundred yards of the guns. The jungle is open and good, interspersed with plots of rank grass ; and quietly following the head tracker, into whose hands our friends have committed them- selves, they follow like hounds under the control of a huntsman. The tracker is a famous fellow, and he brings up his employers in a masterly manner within ten paces of the still unconscious elephants. He now retreats quietly behind the guns, and the sport begins. A cloud of smoke from a regular volley, a crash through the splintering branches as the panic-stricken herd rush from the scene of conflict, and it is all over. X. has killed two, Y. has killed one and Z. knocked down one, but he got up again and got awa}/ ; total, three bagged. Our friends now return to the tent, and, after perhaps a month of this kind of shooting, they arrive at their original headquarters, having bagged perhaps twenty elephants. They give their opinion upon elephant-shooting, and declare it to be capital sport, but there is no danger in it, as the elephants invariably run away. Let us imagine ourselves in the position of the half- asleep and unsuspecting herd. We are lying down in a doze during the heat of the day, and our senses are half benumbed by a sense of sleep. We are beneath the shade of a large tree, and we do not dream that danger is near us. A frightful scream suddenly scatters our wandering senses. It is a rogue elephant upon us ! It was the 24 The Rifle and Hound in Ceylon, scream of his trumpet that we heard ! and he is right among us. How we should bolt ! How we should run at the first start until we could get a gun ! But let him continue this pursuit, and how long would he be without a ball in his head ? It is precisely the same in attacking a herd of elephants or any other animals unaware ; they are taken by sur- prise, and are for the moment panic-stricken. But let our friends X., Y., Z., who have just bagged three elephants so easily, continue the pursuit, hunt the re- maining portion of the herd down till one by one they have nearly all fallen to the bullet — X., Y., Z., will have had enough of it ; they will be blinded by perspiration, torn by countless thorns, as they have rushed through the jungles determined not to lose sight of their game, soaked to the skin as they have waded through inter- vening streams, and will entirely have altered their opinion as to elephants invariably running away, as they will very probably have seen one turn sharp around from the retreating herd, and charge straight into them when they least expected it. At any rate, after a hunt of this kind they can form some opinion of the excite- ment of the true sport. The first attack upon a herd by a couple of first-rate elephant-shots frequently ends the contest in a few seconds by the death of every elephant. I have fre- quently seen a small herd of five or six elephants annihilated in as many seconds after a well-planned approach in thick jungle, when they have been dis- covered standing in a crowd and presenting favorable shots. In such an instance the sport is so soon concluded that the only excitement consists in the cautious advance to the attack through bad jungle. • Character oj the Country 25 As a rule, the pursuit of elephants through bad, thorny jungles should If possible be avoided : the danger is in many cases extreme, although the greater portion of the herd may at other times be perhaps easily killed. There is no certainty in a shot. An elephant may be discerned by the eye looming in an apparent mist formed by the countless intervening twigs and branches which veil him like a screen of network. To reach the fatal spot the ball must pass through perhaps fifty little twigs, one of which, if struck obliquely, turns the bullet, and there is no answering for the consequence. There are no rules, however, without exceptions, and in some instances the following of the gan;e through the thickest jungle can hardly be avoided. The character of the country in Ceylon is generally very unfavorable to sport of all kinds. The length of the island is about two hundred and eighty miles, by one hundred and fifty in width ; the greater portion of this surface is covered with impenetrable jungles, which form secure coverts for countless animals. The centre of the island is mountainous, torrents from which form the sources of the numerous rivers by which Ceylop is so well watered. The low country is flat. The soil throughout the island is generally poor \nd sandy. This being the character of the country, and vast forests rendered impenetrable by tangled underwood forming the principal features of the landscape, a person arriving at Ceylon for the purpose of enjoying its wild sports would feel an inexpressible disappoint- ment. Instead of mounting a good horse, as he might have fondly anticipated, and at once speeding over trackless 36 The Rijle and Hound in Ceylon. plains till so far from human habitations that the terri- tories of beasts commence, he finds himself walled in by jungle on either side of the highway. In vain he asks for information. He finds the neighborhood of Galle, his first landing-place, densely populated : he gets into the coach for Colombo. Seventy miles of close population and groves of cocoa-nut trees are passed, and he reaches the capital. This is worse and worse — he has seen no signs of wild country during his long journey, and Colombo appears to be the height of civilization. He books his place for Kandy ; he knows that is in the very centre of Ceylon — there surely must be sport there, he thinks. The morning gun fires from the Colombo fort < at 5 A.M., and the coach starts. Miles are passed, and still the country is thickly populated — paddy cultivation' in all the flats and hollows, and even the sides of the hills are carefully terraced out in a laborious system of agri- culture. There can be no shooting here ! Sixty miles are passed ; the top of the Kaduganava Pass is reached, eighteen hundred feet above the sea level, the road walled with jungle on either side. From the summit of this pass our newly-arrived sportsman gazes with despair. Far as the eye can reach over a vast extent of country, mountain and valley, hill and dale, without one open spot, are clothed alike in one dark screen of impervious forest. He reaches Kandy, a civilized town surrounded b} hills of jungle — that interminable jungle ! — and atKand^ he may remain, or, better still, return again to England^ unless he can get some well-known Ceylon sportsman to pilot him through the apparently pathless forests, and m fact to " show him sport." This is not easily effected. Varieties of Game in Cejlon. 27 Men who understand the sport are not over fond of acting " chaperon" to a young hand, as a novice must always detract from the sport in some degree. In ad- dition to this, many persons do not exactly know them- selves ; and, although the idea of shooting elephants appears very attractive at a distance, the pleasure some- what abates when the sportsman is forced to seek for safety in a swift pair of heels. I shall now proceed to give a description of the various sports in Ceylon — a task for which the con- stant practice of many years has afforded ample inci- dent. The game of Ceylon consists of elephants, buffaloes, elk, spotted deer, red or the paddy-field deer,* mouse deer, hogs, bears, leopards, hares, black partridge, red- legged partridge, pea-fowl, jungle-fowl, quail, snipe, ducks, widgeon, teal, golden and several kinds of plover, a great variety of pigeons, and among the class of ver- min are innumerable snakes, etc., and the crocodile. The acknowledged sports of Ceylon are elephant- shooting, buffalo-shootfng, deer-shooting, elk-hunting, and deer-coursing : the two latter can only be enjoyed by a resident in the island, as of course the sport is depen- dent upon a pack of fine hounds. Although the wild boar is constantly killed, I do not reckon him among the sports of the country, as he is never sought for, death and destruction to the hounds generally being at- tendant upon his capture. The bear and leopard also do not form separate sports ; they are merely killed when met with. In giving an account of each kind of sport. I shall explain the habits of each animal and the features of *A small species of deer found in the island. sS The Rifle and Hound in Ceylon. the country wherein every incident occurs, CeyloG scenery being so diversified that no general description could give a correct idea of Ceylon sports. The guns are the first consideration. After the first year of my experience 1 had four rifles made to order, which have proved themselves perfect weapons in all respects, and exactly adapted for heavy game. They are double-barreled. No. lo bores, and of such power iv. metal that they weigh fifteen pounds each. I consider them perfection ; but should others consider them too heavy, a pound taken from the weight of the barrels would make a perceptible difference. I would in all cases strongly deprecate the two-grooved rifle for wild sports, on account of the difficulty in loading quickly. A No. lo twelve-grooved rifle will carry a conical ball of two ounces and a half, and can be loaded as quickly as a smooth-bore. Some persons prefer the latter to rifles for elephant-shooting, but I cannot myself under- stand why a decidedly imperfect weapon should be used when the rifle offers such superior advantages. At twenty and even thirty paces a- good smooth-bore will carry a ball with nearly the same precision as a rifle ; but in a country full of various large game, there is no certainty, when the ball is rammed down, at what ob- ject it is to be aimed. A buffalo or deer may cross the path at a hundred yards, and the smooth-bore is useless ; on the other hand, the rifle is always ready for whatever may appear. My battery consists of one four-ounce rifle (a single barrel) vv^eighing twenty-one pounds, one long two- ounce rifle (single barrel) weighing sixteen pounds, ind four double-barreled rifles, No. lo, weighing each The JBlk^ or " Samber Deer** 39 fifteen pounds. Smooth bores I count for nothing, although I have frequently used them. So much for guns. It may therefore be summed up that the proper battery for Ceylon shooting would be four large-bored double-barreled rifles, say from No. 10 to No. 12 in size, but all to be the same bore, so as prevent confusion in loading. Persons may suit their own fancy as to the weight of their guns, bearing in mind that single barrels are very useless things. Next to the " Rifle " in the order of description comes the "Hound." The " elk " is his acknowledged game, and an ac- count of this animal's size and strength will prove the necessity of a superior breed of hound.. The " elk " is a Ceylon blunder and a misnomer. The animal thus called is a " samber deer," well known in India as the largest of all Asiatic deer. A buck in his prime will stand fourteen hands high at the shoulder, and will weigh 600 pounds, live weight. He is in color dark brown, with a fine mane of coarse, bristly hair of six inches in length : the rest of his body is covered with the same coarse hair of about two inches in length. I have a pair of antlers in my possession that are thirteen inches round the burr, and the same size beneath the first branch, and three feet four inches in length ; this, however, is a very unusual «5ize. The elk has seldom more than six points to his antlers. The low-country elk are much larger than those on the highlands ; the latter are seldom more than from twelve to thirteen hands high ; and of course their weight is proportionate, that of a buck in condition being about 400 pounds when gralloched. I have killed them mucn 8» 30. The Rifle and Hound in Ceylon, heavier than this on the mountains, but I have given about the average weight. The habits of this animal are purely nocturnal. Me commences his wanderings at sunset, and retires to the forest at break of day. He is seldom found in greater numbers than two or three together, and is generally alone. When brought to bay he fights to the last, and charges man and hound indiscriminately, a choice hound killed being often the price of victory. The country in which he is hunted is in the mountain- ous districts of Ceylon. Situated at an elevation of 6300 feet above the sea is Newera Ellia, the sanatorium' of the island. Here I have kept a pack and hunted elk for some years, the delightful coolness of the tempera- ture (seldom above 66>° Fahr.) rendering the sport doubly enjoyable. The principal features of this country being a series of wild marsh, plains, forests, tor- rents, mountains and precipices, a peculiar hound is re- quired for the sport. A pack of thorough-bred fox hounds would never answer. They would pick up a cold scent and open upon it before they were within a mile of their game. Roused from his morning nap, the buck would snuff the breeze, and to the distant music give an attentive ear, then shake the dew from his rough hide, and away over rocks and torrents, down the steep mountain sides, through pathless forests ; and woe then to the pack of thorough-breds, whose persevering notes would soon be echoed by the rocky steeps, far, far away from any chance of return, lost in the trackless jungles and ravines many miles from kennel, a prey to leopards and starvation ! I have proved this by experience, having brought a pack of splendid hounds from Deer-Coursifig. 31 England, only one of which survived a few months* hunting. The hound required for elk-hunting is a cross between the fox-hound and blood-hound, of great size and courage, with as powerful a voice as possible. He should be trained to this sport from a puppy, and his natural sagacity soon teaches him not to open unless upon a hot scent, or about two hundred yards from his game ; thus the elk is not disturbed until the hound is at full speed upon his scent, and he seldom gets a long start. Fifteen couple of such hounds in full cry put him at his best pace, which is always tried to the utter- most by a couple or two of fast and pitiless lurchers who run ahead of the pack, the object being to press him at first starting, so as to blow him at the very com- mencement : this is easily effected, as he is full of food, and it is his nature always to take off straight up the hill when first disturbed. When blown he strikes down hill, and makes at great speed for the largest and deep- est stream ; in this he turns to bay, and tries the mettle of the finest hounds. The great enemy to a pack is the leopard. He pounces from the branch of a tree upon a stray hound, and soon finishes him, unless of great size and courage, in, which case the cowardly brute is soon beaten off. This forms another reason for the choice of large hounds. The next sport is the " deer-coursing." This is one of the most delightful kinds of sport in Ceylon. The game is the axis or spotted deer, and the open plains in many parts of the low country afford splendid ground for both grayhound and horse. The buck is about two hundred and fifly pounds live 22 The Rifle and Hound i7t Ceylon. weight, of wonderful speed and great courage, armed with long and graceful antlers as sharp as needles. He will suddenly turn to bay upon the hard ground, and charge his pursuers, and is more dangerous to the gray- hounds than the elk, from his^ wonderful activity, and from ihe fact that he is coursed by only a pair of gray- hounds, instead of being hunted by a pack. Pure grayhounds of great size and courage are best adapted for this sport. They cannot afford to lose speed by a cross with slower hounds. CHAPTER II. Newera Ellia— The Turn-out for Elk-Hunting — ^Elk-Huni- iNG — Elk turned to Bay — The Boar. WHERE shall I begin ? This is a momentous ques- tion, when, upon glancing back upon past years, a thousand incidents jostle each other for precedence.. How shall I describe them ? This, again, is easier asked than answered. A journal is a dry description, min- gling the uninteresting with the brightest moments ot sport. No, I will not write a journal ; it would be end- less and boring. I shall begin with the present as it is, and call up the past as I think proper. Here, then, I am in my private sanctum, my rifles all arranged in their respective stands above the chimney- piece, the stags' horns round walls hung with horn- cases, powder-flasks and the various weapons of the chase. Even as I write the hounds are yelling in the kennel. The thermometer is at 62° Fahr., and it is midday. It never exceeds 72° in the hottest weather, and sometimes falls below freezing-point at night. The sky is spotless and the air calm. The fragrance of mignon- ettes, and a hundred flowers that recall England, fills the air. Green fields of grass and clover, neatly fenced, surround a comfortable house and grounds. Well-fed cattle of the choicest breeds and English sheep are grazing in the paddocks. Well-made roads and C 8t 34 1^^ Rifle and Hound in Ceylon. gravel walks run through the estate. But a few years past, and this was all wilderness. Dense forest reigned where now not even the stump of a tree is standing ; the wind howled over hill and valley, the dank moss hung from the scathed branches, the deep morass filled the hollows ; but all is changed by the hand of civilization and industry. The dense forests and rough plains, which still form the boundaries Df the cultivated land, only add to the beauty. The lonkeys and parrots are even now chattering among he branches, and occasionally the elephant in his -i^htly wanderings trespasses upon the fields, uncon- scious of the oasis within his territory of savage nature. The still, starlight night is awakened by the harsh bark of the elk ; the lofty mountains, gray with the sil- very moonlight, echo back the sound ; and the wakeful hounds answer the well-known cry by a prolonged and savage yell. This is " Newera Ellia," the sanatorium of Ceylon, the most perfect climate of the world. It now boasts of a handsome church, a public reading-room, a large hotel, the barracks and about twenty private residences. The adjacent country, of comparatively table land, occupies an extent of some thirty miles in length, vary- ing in altitude from 6200 to 7000 feet, forming a base for the highest peaks in Ceylon, which raise to nearly 9000 feet. Alternate large plains, separated by belts of forest, rapid rivers, waterfalls, precipices and panoramic views of boundless extent, form the features of this country, which, combined with the sports of the place, render a residence at Newera Ellia a life of health, luxury and independence. Newer a Ellia. 35 The high road from Colombo passes over the moun- tains through Newera Ellia to Badulla, from which lat- ter place there is a bridle-road, through the best shoot- ing districts in Ceylon, to the seaport town of Battica- loa, and from thence to Trincomalee. The relative dis- tances of Newera Ellia are, from Galle, 185 miles; from Colombo, 115 miles; from Kandy, 47 miles; from Badulla, 36 miles ; from Batticaloa, 148 miles, Were it not for the poverty of the soil, Newera Ellia would long ago have become a place of great import- ance, as the climate is favorable to the cultivation of all English produce ; but an absence of lime in the soil, and the cost of applying it artificially, prohibit the cul- tivation of all grain, and restrict the produce of the land to potatoes and other vegetables. Nevertheless, many small settlers earn a good subsistence, although this has latterly been rendered precarious hy the appear- ance of the well-known potato disease. Newera Ellia has always been a favorite place of re- sort during the fashionable months, from the commence- ment of January to the middle of May. At that time the rainy season commences, and visitors rapidly disap- pear. All strangers remark the scanty accommodation afforded to the numerous visitors. To see the number of people riding and walking round the Newera Ellia plain, it appears a inarvel how they can be housed in the few dwellings that exist. There is an endless sup- ply of fine timber in the forests, and powerful saw-mills are already erected ; but the island is, like its soil, " poor." Its main staple, " coffee," does not pay suf- ficiently to enable the proprietors of estates to indulge in the luxury of a house at Newera Ellia. Like many 36 The Rijle aiid Hound hi Ceylon. watering-places in England, it is overcrowded at one season and deserted at another, the only perma- nent residents being comprised in the commandant, the officer in command of the detachment of troops, the government agent, the doctor, the clergyman and our own family. Dull enough ! some persons may exclaim ; and so it would be to any but a sportsman ; but the jungles teem with large game, and Newera EUia is in a central posi- tion, as the best sporting country is only three days' journey, or one hundred miles, distant. Thus, at any time, the guns may be packed up, and, with tents and baggage sent on some days in advance, a fortnight's or a month's v^^ar may be carried on against the elephants without much trouble. The turn-out for elk-hunting during the fashionable season at Newera Ellia is sometimes peculiarly exciting. The air is keen and frosty, the plains snow-white with the crisp hoar frost, and even at the early hour of 6 a.m. parties of ladies may be seen urging their horses round the plain on their way to the appointed meet. Here we are waiting with the anxious pack, perhaps bless- ing some of our more sleep}'- friends for not turning out a little earlier. Party after party arrives, including many of the fair sex, and the rosy tips to all counten- ances attest the quality of the cold even in Ceylon. There is something peculiarly inspiriting in the early hour of sunrise upon these mountains — an indescribable lightness in the atmosphere, owing to the great eleva- tion, which takes a wonderful effect upon the spirits. The horses and the hounds feel its influence in an equal degree ; the former, who are perhaps of sober character in the hot climate, now champ the bit and Elk-Himting. 35 paw the ground : their owners hardly know them by the change. We have frequently mustered as many as thirty horses at a meet ; but on these occasions a picked spot is chosen where the sport may be easily witnessed by those who are unaccustomed to it. The horses may, in these in- stances, be available, but as a rule they are perfectly useless in elk-hunting, as the plains are so boggy that they would be hock-deep every quarter of a mile. Thus no person can thoroughly enjoy elk-hunting who is not well accustomed to it, as it is a sport conducted entirely on foot, and the thinness of the air in this ele- vated region is very trying to the lungs in hard exercise. Thoroughly sound in wind and limb, with no super- fluous flesh, must be the man who would follow the hounds in this wild country — through jungles, rivers, plains and deep ravines, sometimes from sunrise to sun- set without tasting food since the previous evening, with the exception of a cup of coffee and piece of toast before starting. It is trying work, but it is a noble sport : no weapon but the hunting-knife ; no certainty as to the character of the game that may be found ; it may be either an elk, or ^ boar, or a leopard, and yet the knif# and the good hounds are all that can be trusted in. It is a glorious sport certainly to a man who thoroughly understands it ; the voice of every hound familiar to his ear, the particular kind of game that is found is at once known to him long before he is in view by the style of the hunting. If an elk is found, the hounds follow with a burst straight as a line, and at a killing pace, directly up the hill, till he at length turns and bends his head- long course for some stronghold in a deep river to bay. Listening to the hounds till certain of their course, a 4 38 The Rifle and Hound in Ceylon. thorough knowledge of the country at once tells the huntsman of their destination, and away he goes. He tightens his belt by a hole, and steadily he starts at a long, swinging trot, having made up his mind for a day of it. Over hills and valleys, through tangled and pathless forests, but all well known to him, steady he goes at the same pace on the level, easy through the bogs and up the hills, extra steam down hill, and stop- ping for a moment to listen for the hounds on every elevated spot. At length he hears them ! No, it was a bird. Again he fancies that he hears a distant sound — was it the wind ? No ; there it is — it is old Smut's voice — he is at bay ! Yoick to him ! he shouts till his lungs are wellnigh cracked, and through thorns and jungles, bogs and ravines, he rushes toward the wel- come sound. Thick-tangled bushes armed with a thousand hooked thorns suddenly arrest his course ; it is the thick fringe of underwood that borders every forest ; — the open plain is within a few yards of him. The hounds in a mad chorus are at bay, and the woods ring again with the cheering sound. Nothing can stop him now — thorns, or clothes, or flesh must go — something must give way as he bursts through them and stands upon the plain. There they are in that deep pool formed by the river as it sweeps round the rock. A buck ! a noble fellow ! Now he charges at the hounds, and strikes the foremos'; beneath the water with his fore-feet ; up they come again to the surface — they hear their master's well- known shout — they look round and see his welcome figure on the steep bank. Another moment, a tre- mendous splash, and he is among his hounds, and all are swimming toward tlieir noble game. At them he Elk :' timed to Bay. 3^ comes with a fierce rush. Avoid him as you best can, ye hunters, man and hounds ! Down the river the buck now swims, sometimes gal- loping over the shallows, sometimes wading shoulder- deep, sometimes swimming through the deep pools. Now he dashes down the fierce rapids and leaps the opposing rocks between which the torrent rushes at a frightful pace. The hounds are after him ; the roaring of the water joins in their wild chorus ; the loud holloa of the huntsman is heard above every sound as he cheers the pack on. He runs along the bank of the river, and again the enraged buck turns to bay. He has this time taken a strong position : he stands in a swift rapid about two feet deep ; his thin legs cleave the stream as it rushes past, and every hound is swept away as he attempts to stem the current. He is a perfect picture : his nostrils are distended, his mane is bristled up, his eyes flash, and he adds his loud bark of defiance to the din around him. The hounds can- not touch him. Now for the huntsman's part : he calls the stanchest seizers to his side, gives them a cheer on and steps into the torrent, knife in hand. Quick a-s lightning the buck springs to the attack ; but he has exposed himself, and at that moment the tall lurchers are upon his ears ; the huntsman leaps apon one side and plunges the knife behind his shoulder. A tres mendous struggle takes place — the whole pack is upon him ; still his dying efforts almost free him from their hold : a mass of spray envelops the whole scene. Suddenly he falls — he dies — it is all over. The hounds are called off', and are carefully examined for wounds. The huntsman is now perhaps some miles from home ; he, therefore, cuts a long pole, and tying a large bunch 40 The Rifle and Hound in Ceylon, of grass to one end, he sticks the other end into the ground close to the river's edge where the elk is lying. This marks the spot. He calls his hounds together and returns homeward, and afterward sends men tc cut the buck up and bring him home. Elk venison is very good, but is at all times more like beef than En- glish venison. The foregoing may be considered a general descrip- tion of elk-hunting, although the incidents of the sport necessarily vary considerably. The boar is our dangerous adversary, and he is easily known by the character of the run. The hounds seldom open with such a burst upon the scent as they do with an elk. The run is much slower ; he runs down this ravine and u]3 that, never going straight away, and he generally comes to bay after a run of ten minutes' duration. A boar alwaj^s chooses the very thickest part of the jungle as his position for a bay, and from this he makes continual rushes at the hounds. The huntsman approaches the scene of the combat, breaking his way with difficulty through the tangled jungle, until within about twenty yards of the bay. He now cheers the hounds on to the attack, and if they are worthy of their name, they instantly rush into the boar regardless of wounds. The huntsman is aware of the seizure by the grunting of the boar and the tre- mendous confusion in the thick jungle ; he immediately rushes to the assistance of the pack, knife in hand. A scene of real warfare meets his view — gaping wounds upon his best hounds, the boar rushing through the jungle covered with dogs, and he himself becomes the immediate object of his fury when observed. The Boar. 41 No time is to be lost. Keeping behind the boar if possible, he rushes to the bloody conflict, and drives the hunting-knife between the shoulders in the en- deavor to divide the spine. Should he happily effect this, the boar falls stone dead ; but if not, he repeats the thrust, keeping a good lookout for the animal's tusks. If the dogs v^-ere of not sufiicient courage to rush in and seize the boar when halloaed on, no man could ap- proach him in a thick jungle with only a hunting-knife, as he would in all probability have his insides ripped out at the first charge. The animal is wonderfully active and ferocious, and of immense power, constantly weighing 4 cwt. The end of nearly every good seizer is being killed by a boar. The better the dog the more likely he is to be killed, as he will be the first to lead the attack, and in thick jungle he has no chance of escaping from a wound. 4* CHAPTER III. MiNNERiA Lake — Brush with a Bull — An Awkward Vis- a-vis — A Bright Thought — Bull Buffalo Receives his Small Change — What is Man ? — Long Shot with the Four-ounce — Charged by a Herd of Buffaloes — the Four-ounce does Service — The "Lola" — A Woman Killed by a Crocodile — Crocodile at Bolgodde Lake — A Monster Crocodile — Death of a Crocodilk THE foregoing description may serve as an intro- duction to the hill-sports of Ceylon. One animal, however, yet remains to be described, v^ho surpasses all others in dogged ferocity w^hen once aroused. This is the " buffalo." The haunts of this animal are in the hottest parts of Ceylon. In the neighborhood of lakes, sw^amps and extensive plains the buffalo exists in large herds ; v^'al- lowing in the soft mire, and passing two-thirds of his time in. the water itself, he may be almost termed amphibious- He is about the size of a large ox, of immense bone and strength, very active, and his hide is almost free from hair, giving a disgusting appearance to his India- rubber-like skin. He carries his head in a peculiar manner, the horns thrown back, and his nose projecting on a level with his forehead, thus securing himself from a front shot in a fatal part. This renders him a dan- 42 Min7ieria Lake. 43 gerous enemy, as he will receive any number of balls from a small gun in the throat and chest without evin- cing the least symptom of distress. The shoulder is the acknowledged point to aim at, but from his disposition to face the guns this is a difficult shot to obtain. Should he succeed in catching his antagonist, his fury knows no bounds, and he gores his victim to death, trampling and kneeling upon him till he is satisfied that life is extinct. This sport would not be very dangerous in the forests, where the buffalo could be easily stalked, and where escape would also be rendered less difficult in case of accident ; but as he is generally met with upon the open plains free from a single tree, he must be killed when once brought to bay, or he will soon exhibit his qualifi- cations for mischief. There is a degree of uncertainty in their character, which much increases the danger of the pursuit. A buffalo may retreat at first sight with every symptom of cowardice, and thus induce a too eager pursuit, when he will suddenly become the assailant. I cannot explain their character better than by describing the first wild buflfaloes that I ever saw. I had not been long in Ceylon, but having arrived in the island for the sake of its wild sports, I had not been idle, and I had already made a considerable bag of large game. Like most novices, however, I was guilty of one great fault. I despised the game, and gave no heed to the many tales of danger and hairbreadth escapes which attended the pursuit of wild animals. This carelessness on my part arose from my first debut, having been extremely lucky ; most shots had told well, and the animal had been killed with such apparent ease that I had learnt to place an implicit reliance in the rifle. The real fact was, that I was like many 44 The Rifle and Hotmd in Ceylon. others ; I had slaughtered a number of animals without understanding their habits, and I was 2:)erfectly ignorant of the sport. This is now many years ago, and it was then, my first visit to the island. Some places that were good spots for shooting in those days have since that time been much disturbed, and are now no longer at- tractive to my eyes. One of these places is Minneria Lake. I was on a shooting trip accompanied by my brother, whom I will designate as B. We had passed a toil- some day in pushing and dragging our ponies for twenty miles along a narrow path through thick jungle, which half a dozen natives in advance were opening before us with bill-hooks. This had at one time been a good path, but was then overgrown. It is now an acknow- ledged bridle-road. At 4 P.M., and eighty miles from Kandy, we emerged from the jungle, and the view of Minneria Lake burst upon us, fully repaying us for our day's march. It was a lovely afternoon. The waters of the lake, which is twenty miles in circumference, were burnished by the setting sun. The surrounding plains were as green as an English meadow, and beautiful forest trees bordered the extreme boundaries of the plains like giant warders of the adjoining jungle. Long promontories densely wooded stretched far into the waters of the lake, form- ing sheltered nooks and bays teeming with wild fowl. The deer browsed in herds on the wide extent of plain, or lay beneath the shade of the spreading branches. Every feature of lovely scenery was here presented. In some spots groves of trees grew to the very water's edge ; in others the wide plains, free from a single stem or busl\, stretched for miles along the edge of the lake ; thickly Minneria Lake, AC wooded hills bordered the extreme end of its waters, and distant blue mountains mingled their dim summits with the clouds. It was a lovely scene, which we enjoyed in silence, while our ponies feasted upon the rich grass. The village of Minneria was three miles farther on, and our coolies, servants and baggage were all far behind us. We had, therefore, no rifles or guns at hand, except a couple of shot-guns, which were carried by our horsekeepers : for these we had a few balls. For about half an hour we waited in the impatient expectation of the arrival of our servants with the rifles. The afternoon was wearing away, and they did not appear. We could wait no longer, but determined to take a stroll and examine the country. We therefore left our horses and proceeded. The grass was most verdant, about the height of a field fit for the scythe in England, but not so thick. From this the snipe arose at every twenty or thirty paces, although the ground was perfectly dry. Crossing a large meadow, and skirting the banks of the lake, from which the ducks and teal rose in large flocks, we entered a long neck of jungle which stretched far into the lake. This was not above two hundred paces in width, and we soon emerged upon an extensive plain bordered by fine forest, the waters of the lake stretching far away upon our left, like a sheet of gold. A few large rocks rose above the surface near the shore ; these were cov- ered with various kinds of wild-fowl. The principal tenants of the plain were wild buffaloes. A herd of about a hundred were lying in a swampy hollow about a quarter of a mile from us. Several sin- gle bulls were dotted about the green surface of the 46 The Rifle and Hound in Ceylon, level plain, and on the opposite shores of the lake were many dark patches undistinguishable in the distance ; these were in reality herds of buffaloes. There was not a sound in the wide expanse before us, except the harsh cry of the water-fowl that our presence had already disturbed — not a breath of air moved the leaves of the trees which shaded us — and the whole scene was that of undisturbed nature. The sun had now sunk low upon the horizon, and the air was comparatively cool. The multitude of buffaloes enchanted us, and with our two light double-barrels we advanced to the attack of the herd before us. We had not left the obscurity of the forest many sec- onds before we were observed. The herd started up from their muddy bed and gazed at us with astonish- ment. It was a fair open plain of some thousand acres, bounded by the forest which we had just quitted on the one side, and by the lake on the other ; thus there was no cover for our advance, and all we could do was to push on. As we approached the herd they ranged up in a com- Bact body, presenting a very regular line in front. From this line seven large bulls stepped forth, and from their vicious appearance seemed disposed to show fight. In the mean time we were running up, and were soon within thirty paces of them. At this distance the main body of the herd suddenly wheeled round and thundered across the plain in full retreat. One of the bulls at the same moment charged straight at us, but when within twenty paces of the guns he turned to one side and instantly received two balls in the shoulder, B. and I having fired at the same moment. As luck would have it, his blade-bone was thus broken, and he fell upon his jB^'ush "with a Bull, 47 knees, but recovering himself in an instant he retreated on three legs to the water. We now received assistance from an unexpected quarter. One of the large bulls, his companions, charged after him with great fury, and soon overtaking the wounded beast, he struck him full in the side, throw- ing him over with a great shock on the muddy border of the lake. Here the wounded animal lay unable to rise, and his conqueror commenced a slow retreat across the plain. Leaving B. to extinguish the wounded buffalo, I gave chase to the retreating bull. At an easy canter he would gain a hundred paces, and then turning, he would face me ; throwing his nose up, and turning his head to one side with a short grunt, he would advance quickly for a few paces, and then again retreat as I continued to approach. In this manner he led me a chase of about a mile along the banks of the lake, but he appeared deter- mined not to bring the fight to an issue at close quarters. Cursing his cowardice, I fired a long shot at him, and reloading with m.y last spare ball, I continued the chase, led on by ignorance and excitement. The lake in one part stretched in a narrow creek into the plain, and the bull now directed his course into the angle formed by this turn. I thought that I had him in a corner, and, redoubling my exertions, I gained upon him considerably. He retreated slowly to the very edge of the creek, and I had gained so fast upon him that I was not thirty paces distant when he plunged into the water and commenced swimming across the creek. This was not more than sixty yards in breadth, and I knew that I could now bring: him to action. 48 The Rifle and Hound z?z Ceylon. Running round the borders of the creek as fast as I could, I arrived at the opposite side on his intended landing-place just as his black form reared from the deep water and gained the shallows, into vv^hich I had waded knee-deep to meet him. I now experienced that pleasure as he stood sullenly eyeing me within fifteen paces. Poor stupid fellow ! I would willingly, in my ignorance, have betted ten to one upon the shot, so certain was I of his death in another instant. I took a quick but steady aim at his chest, at the point of connection with the throat. The smoke of the barrel passed to one side ; — there he stood — he had not flinched ; he literally had not moved a muscle. The only change that had taken place was in his eye ; this, which had hitherto been merely sullen, was now beam- ing with fury ; but his form was as motionless as a statue. A stream of blood poured from a wound within an inch of the spot at which I had aimed ; had it not been for this fact, I should not have believed him struck. Annoyed at the failure of the shot, I tried him with the left-hand barrel at the same hole. The report of the gun echoed over the lake, but there he stood as though he bore a charmed life ; — an increased flow of blood from the wound and additional lustre in his eye were the only signs of his being struck. I was now unloaded, and had not a single ball re- maining. It was now his turn. I dared not turn to retreat, as I knew he would immediately charge, and we stared each other out of countenance. With a short grunt he suddenly sprung forward, but fortunately, as I did not move, he halted : he had, how- ever, decreased his distance, and we now gazed at each A Bright Thought. 49 other within ten paces. I began to think buffalo-shoot- ing somewhat dangerous, and I would have given something to have been a mile away, but ten times as much to have had m)'- four-ounce rifle in my hand. Oh how I longed for that rifle in this moment of sus- pense ! Unloaded, without the power of defence, with the absolute certainty of a charge from an overpower- ing brute, my hand instinctively found the handle of my hunting-knife, a useless weapon against such a foe. Knowing that B. was not aware of my situation at the distance which sejparated us (about a mile), with- out taking my eyes from the figure before me I raised my hand to my mouth and gave a long and loud whistle ; this was a signal that I knew would be soon answered if heard. With a stealthy step and another short grunt, tlie bull again advanced a couple of paces toward me. He seemed aware of my helplessness, and he was the picture of rage and fury, pawing the water and stamp- ing violently with his fore-feet. This was very pleasant ! I gave myself up for lost, but putting as fierce an expression into my features as I could possibly assume, I stared hopelessly at my mad- dened antagonist. Suddenly a bright thought flashed through my mind. Without taking my eyes ofl'the animal before me, I put a double charge of powder down the right-hand barrel, and, tearing off a piece of my shirt, I took all the money from my pouch, three shillings in sixpenny pieces, and two anna pieces, which I luckily had with me in this small coin for paying coolies. Quickly making them into a rouleau with the piece of rag, I rammed them down the barrel, and they were hardly well home 6 D 50 The Rifle and Hou7id in Ceyldn before the bull again sprang forward. So quick was it that I had no time to replace the ramrod, and I threw it in the water, bringing my gun on full cock in the same instant. However, he again halted, being now within about seven paces from me, and we ag^in gazed fixedly at each other, but with altered feelings on my part. I had faced him hopelessly with an empty gun for more than a quarter of an hour, which seemed a century. I now had a charge in my gun, which I knew if reserved till he was within a foot of the muzzle would certainly floor him, and I awaited his onset with comparative carelessness, still keeping my eyes opposed to his gaze. At this moment I heard a splashing in the water be- hind me, accompanied by the hard breathing of some- thing evidently distressed. The next moment I heard B.'s voice. He could hardly speak for want of breath, having run the whole way to my rescue, but I could understand that he had only one barrel loaded and no bullets left. I dared not turn my face from the buflalo, but I cautioned B. to reserve his fire till the bull should be close into me, and then to aim at the head. The words were hardly uttered, when, with the totv- centrated rage of the last twenty minutes, he rushed straight at me. It was the work of an instant. B. fired without effect. The horns were lowered, their points were on either side of me, and the muzzle of the gun barely touched his forehead when I pulled the trigger, and three shillings' worth of small change rattled into his hard head. Down he went, and rolled over with the suddenly checked momentum of'^'iiis charge. Away went B. and I as fast as our heels would carry us, through the water and over the plain, What ts Man? 51 knowing that he was not dead but only stunned. There was a large fallen tree about half a mile from us, whose whitened branches rising high above the ground offered a tempting asylum. To this we directed our flying steps, and after a run of a hundred yards, we turned and looked behind us. He had regained his feet and was following us slowly. We now experi- enced the difference of feeling between hunting and being hunted, and fine sport we must have afibrded him. On he came, but fortunately so stunned by the col- lision with her Majesty's features upon the coin which he had dared to oj^pose that he could only reel forward at a slow canter. By degrees even this pace slackened, and he fell. We were only too glad to be able to re- duce our speed likewise, but we had no sooner stopped to breathe than he was again up and after us. At length, however, we gained the tree and we beheld him with satisfaction stretched powerless upon the ground, but not dead, within two hundred yards of us. We retreated under cover of the forest to the spot at which we had left the horses, fortunately meeting no opposition from wild animals, and we shortly arrived at the village at which we took up our quarters, vowing vengeance on the following morning for the defeat that we had sustained. A man is a poor defenceless wretch if left to defend himself against wild animals with the simple natural weapon of arms, legs and teeth. A tom-cat would almost be a match for him. He has legs which will neither serve him for pursuit or escape if he is forced to trust only in his speed. He has strength of limb, which is useless without some artificial weapon. He 52 The Rifle and Hound in Ceylon. is an animal, who, without the power of reason, could not even exist in a wild state ; his brain alone gives him the strength to support his title of a lord of the creation. Nevertheless, a lord of the creation does not appear in much majesty when running for his life from an in- furiated buffalo — the assumed title sits uneasily upon him when, with scarcely a breath left in his body, he struggles along till he is ready to drop with fatigue, ex- pecting to be overtaken at every step. We must cer- tainly have exhibited poor specimens of the boasted sway of man over the brute creation could a stranger have witnessed our flight on this occasion. The next morning we were up at day-break, and we returned to the battle-field of the previous evening in the full expectation of seeing our wounded antagonist the lake, we * Very similar to the banian tree. 140 The Rifle and Hound in Ceylon, pitched the tent under some shady trees upon a ^&i level sward. By this time it was nearly dusk, and I had barely time to stroll out and kill a peacock for din- ner before night set in. The next morning, having been joined by my friend, a Mr. P. Braybrook, then government agent of this dis- trict, our party was increased to three, and seeing no traces of elephants in this neighborhood, we determined to proceed to a place called Wiharewell^, about six miles farther inland. Our route now lay along a broad causeway of solid masonry. On either side of this road stone pillars of about twelve feet in height stood in broken rows, and lay scattered in every direction through the jungle. Ruined dagobas and temples jutted their rugged sum- mits above the tree-tops, and many lines of stone col- umns stood in parallel rows, the ancient supports of buildings of a similar character to those of Pollanarua and Anarajahpoora. We were among the ruins of ancient Mahagam. One of the ruined buildings had apparently rested upon seventy-two pillars. These were still erect, standing in six lines of twelve col- umns : every stone appeared to be about fourteen feet high by two feet square and twenty-five feet apart. This building must therefore have formed an oblong of three hundred feet by one hundred and fifty. Many of the granite blocks were covered with rough carving ; large flights of steps, now irregular from the inequality of the ground, were scattered here and there ; and the general appearance of the ruins was similar to that of Polla- narua, but of smaller extent. The stone causeway which passed through the ruins was about two miles in length, being for the most part overgrown with low Ruins of Ancient Mahagam, 141 jungle and prickly cactus. I traversed the jungle for some distance until arrested by the impervious nature of the bushes ; but v^herever I w^ent the ground was strewed with squared stones and fallen brickwork over- grown with rank vegetation. The records of Ceylon do not afford any satisfactory information concerning the original foundation of this city ; the first time that we hear of it is in the year 286 B. c. ; but we have no account of the era or cause of its desertion. Although Mahagam is the only vestige of an ancient city in this district, there are many ruined buildings and isolated dagobas of great antiquity scattered throughout the country. I observed on a peak of one of the Kattregam hills large masses of fallen brickwork, the ruins of some former buildings, probably coeval with Mahagam. The whole of this district, now so wild and desolate, must in those days have been thickly populated and highly cultivated, although, from the present appearance of the country, it does not seem pos- sible that it has ever altered its aspect since the Creation. Descending a steep bank shaded by large trees, we crossed the bed of the Manick Ganga (Jewel River). The sand was composed of a mixture of mica, quartz, sap- phire, ruby and jacinth, but the large proportion of ruby sand was so extraordinary that it seemed to rival Sindbad the Sailor's vale of gems. The whole of this was val- ueless, but the appearance of the sand was very inviting as the shallow stream in rippling over it magnified the tiny gems into stones of some magnitude. I passed an hour in vainly searching for a ruby worth collecting, but the largest did not exceed the size of mustard seed. The natives use this sand for cutting elephants' teeth, in the same manner that a stonemason uses sand to 142 The Rifle and Hound in Ceylon, assist him in sawing through a stone. Elephants' teeth or grinders are so hard that they will produce sparks upon being struck with a hatchet. About two miles from the opposite bank of the river, having journeyed through a narrow path bordered upon either side by thick jungle, we opened upon an exten- sive plain close to the village of Wiharewelle. This plain was covered with wild indigo, and abounded with pea-fowl. Passing through the small village at the ex- tremity of the plain, we pitched the tent upon the bor- ders of the lake, about a quarter of a mile beyond it. This tank was about three miles in circumference, and, like that of Sitrawelle, was one of the ancient works of the Mahagam princes. The village was almost deserted ; none but the old men and women and children remained, as the able- bodied men had gone to the Kattregam festival. We could, therefore, obtain no satisfactory information re- garding elephants ; but I was convinced, from the appear- ance of the country and from the high grass around the lake, that if any elephants were in the district some would be here. It was late in the evening, the coolies were heaping up the night-fires, and as darkness closed upon us the savory steam of a peacock that was roast- ing on a stick betokened the welcome approach of din- ner. We had hardly commenced when the roaring of elephants within a short distance of the tent gave us hope of sport on the following day. At daybreak the next morning I strolled round the lake to look for tracks. A herd of about seven had been feeding during the night within half a mile of the tent. During my walk I saw innumerable pea-fowl, jungle-fowl, hares and ducks, in addition to several Wiharcwelle. 143 herds of deer ; but not wishing to disturb the country, I did not fire, but returned to the tent and sent out trackers. In the afternoon the natives returned with intelligence of a small pool two miles from the opposite shore of the lake, situated in dense jungle ; here they had seen fresh elephant tracks, and they proposed that we should watch the pool that evening at the usual drinking hour of the game. As this was the only pool of water for miles round with the exception of the lake, I thought the plan likely to succeed, and we therefore started without loss of time. On arrival at the pool we took a short survey of oui quarters. A small round sheet of water of perhaps eighty yards in diameter lay in the midst of a dense jungle. Several large trees were growing close to the edge, and around these lay numerous rocks of about four feet high, forming a capital place for concealment. Covering the tops of the rocks with boughs to conceal our heads, we lay quietly behind them in expectation ot the approaching game. The sun sank, and the moon rose in great beauty, throwing a silvery light upon the surface of the water chequered by the dark shadows of the surrounding trees. Suddenly the hoarse bark of an elk sounded with- in a short distance, and I could distinguish two or three dark forms on the opposite bank. The shrill and con- tinual barking of spotted deer now approaching nearei and nearer, the rustling in the jungle and the splashing in the water announced continual arrivals of game to the lonely drinking-place. Notwithstanding the im- mense quantity of animals that were congregated to- gether, we could not distinguish them plainly on account 144 '^^^^ Rifle and Hound in Ceylon. of the dark background of jungle. Elk, deer, buffa- loes and hogs were all bathing and drinking in immense numbers, but there were no elephants. For some hours we watched the accumulation of game ; there was not a breath of air, although the scud was flying fast above us, occasionally throwing a veil over the moon and casting a sudden obscurity on the dim scene before us. Our gun-bearers were crouched around us ; their dark skins matching with the ground on which they squatted, they looked like so many stumps of trees. It was nearly ten o'clock, and my eyes ached with watching ; several times I found my- self nodding as sleep took me by surprise ; so, leaving a man to look out, we sat quietly down and discussed a cold fowl that we had brought with us. We had just finished a pint bottle of cherry brandy when I felt a gentle touch upon my shoulder, and our lookout man whispered in my ear the magic word "alia" (elephant), at the same time pointing in the direction of the tank. The guns were all wrapped up in a blanket to keep them from the dew, so telling W. to uncover them and to distribute them to the respective gun-bearers without noise, I crept out and stole unper- ceived along the margin of the tank to discover the number and position of the elephants. So deceitful was the moonlight, being interrupted by the dark shadows of the jungle, that I was within ten paces of the nearest elephant before I distinguished her. I counted three elephants — one large and two others about six feet high. Being satisfied with my information, and having ascertained that no others were in the jungle, I returned to my companions : they were all ready, and we crept forward. We were within ten pacea of the Shooting by Moonlight, 145 large elephant, when a branch of hooked thorn caught W. by the clothes ; the noise that he made in extricat- ing himself immediately attracted the attention of the elephant, and she turned quickly round, receiving at the same moment an ineffectual shot from W. B. at the same time fired without effect at one of the small elephants. The mother, hearing a roar from the small elephant that B. had wounded, immediately rushed up to it, and they stood side by side in the water about fif- teen yards from the bank. The large elephant now cocked her ears and turned her head from side to side with great quickness to discover an enemy. I ran close to the water's edge, and the mother perceiving me imme- diately came forward. I could hardly distinguish the sights of my rifle, and I was, therefore, obliged to wait till she was within four or five paces before I fired. She gave me a good shot and dropped dead. The young one was rushing about and roaring in a tremendous manner, having again been fired at and wounded by B and W. By this time I had got a spare gun, and, wad ing into the tank, I soon came to such close quarters that I could not miss, and one shot killed him. The other small elephant escaped unseen in the confusion caused by the firing. The following evening we again watched the pool, and once more a mother and her young one came to drink. W. and B. extinguished the young one while I killed the mother. This watching by moonlight is a kind of sport that I do not admire ; it is a sort of midnight murder ; and many a poor brute who comes to the silent pool to cool his parched tongue finds only a cup of bitterness, and retires again to his jungle haunts to die a lingering 13 K 146 The Rifle and Hound in Ceylon. death from some unskillful wound. The best shot must frequently miss by moonlight ; there is a silvery glare which renders all objects indistinct and the shot very doubtful ; thus two animals out of three fired at will generally escape wounded. I was tired of watching by night, and I again re- turned to the neighborhood of Yalle. After a long ride through a burning sun, I went down to the river to bathe. The water was not more than three feet deep, and was so clear that every pebble was plainly distin- guishable at the bottom. I had waded hip-deep into the river when my servant, who was on the bank, suddenly cried out, " Sar ! sar ! come back, sar ! Mora ! mora ! " and he pointed to some object a little higher up the stream. It was now within ten or twelve yards of me, and 1 fancied that it was a piece of drift timber, but I lost no time in reach- ing the shore. Slowly the object sailed along with the stream, but as it neared me, to my astonishment, a large black fin protruded from the water, a^d the mystery was at once cleared up. It was a large shark about nine feet long. In some places the water was so shallow that his tail < and a portion of his back was now and then above the surface. He was in search of gray mullet, with which fish the ri\er abounded ; and at this season sharks were very numerous, as they followed the shoals for some dis- , tance up the river. My servant had been in a great state of alarm, as he thought his master would have been devoured in a few seconds ; but the natives of the village quietly told me not to be afraid, but to bathe in peace, "<25 sharks zvould ?iot eat Tnen at this season^ I was not disposed to put his epicurean scruples to the TalU River, v 17 test: as some persons may kill a pheasant before tlie first of October, so he might have made a grab at me a little before the season, which would have been equally disagreeable to my feelings. The novelty of a white skin in that clear river might have proved too strong a temptation for a shark to withstand. I never saw game in such masses as had now col- lected in this neighborhood. The heat was intense, and the noble forest in the vicinity of Yalle river offered an asylum to all animals beneath its shade, where good water and fine grass upon the river's bank supplied their wants. In this forest there was little or no under- wood ; the trees grew to an immense size and stood far apart, so that a clear range might be obtained for a hundred yards. It was, therefore, a perfect spot for deer-stalking; the tops of the trees formed an imper- vious screen to the sun's rays ; and I passed several days in wandering with my rifle through these shady solitudes, killing an immense quantity of game. The deer were in such masses that I restricted myself to bucks, and I at length became completely satiated. There was too much game ; during a whole day's walk I was certainly not Jive minutes without seeing either deer, elk, buffaloes or hogs. The noise of the rifle did not appear to scare them from the forest ; they would simply retreat for a time to some other portion of it, and fresh herds were met with in following up one w^iich had been disturbed. Still, there were no elephants. Although I had upward of fifty coolies and servants, they could not dry the venison sufficiently fast to prevent the deer from stinking as they were killed, and I resolved to leave the country. I gave orders for everything to be packed up in 148 The Rijle and Hound in Ceylon. readiness for a start, after an early breakfast, on the fol- lowing morning. The servants were engaged in ar- ranging for the departure, when a native brought intel- ligence of a rogue elephant within four miles of the tent. It was late in the afternoon, but I had not seen an elephant for so long that I was determined to make his acquaintance. My friend B. accompanied me, and we immediately started on horseback. Our route lay across very extensive plains, inter- spersed with low thorny bushes and wide salt lakes. Innumerable wild hogs invited us to a chase. There could not be a better spot for boar-spearing, as the ground is level and clear for riding. There were numerous herds of deer and buffaloes, but we did not fire a shot, as w^e had determined upon an interview with the rogue. We traversed about four miles of this style of country, and were crossing a small plain, when our guide suddenly stopped and pointed to the ele- phant, who was about a quarter of a mile distant. He was standing on a little glade of about fifty yards across ; this was surrounded upon all sides but one with dense thorny jungle, and he therefore stood in a small bay of open ground. It was a difficult position for an attack. The wind blew directly from us to him, therefore an advance in that direction was out of the question ; on the other hand, if we made a circuit so as to get the wind, we should have to penetrate through the thorny jungle to arrive at him, and we should then have the five o'clock sun directly in our eyes. How- ever, there was no alternative, and, after a little con- sultation, the latter plan was resolved upon. Dismounting, we ordered the horsekeepers to conceal the horses and themselves behind a thick bush, lest the A Stroll before Breakfast. 149 elephant should observe them, and with this precaution we advanced, making a circuit of nearly a mile to ob- tain the wind. On arrival at the belt of thick jungle which divided us from the small glade upon which he stood, I perceived, as I had expected, that the sun was full in our eyes. This was a disadvantage which I felt convinced would lose us the elephant, unless some ex- traordinary chance intervened ; however, we entered the thick jungle before us, and cautiously pushed our way through it. This belt was not more than fifty yards in width, and we soon broke upon the small glade. The elephant was standing with his back toward us, at about forty paces distant, close to the thick jungle by his side; and, taking my four-ounce rifle, I walked quietly but quickly toward him. Without a moment's warning he flung his trunk straight up, and, turning sharp round, he at once charged into us. The sun shone full in my eyes, so that I could do nothing but fire somewhere at his head. He fell, but immediately recovered himself, and before the smoke had cleared away he was in full retreat through the thorny jungle, the heavy ball having taken all the pluck out of him. This was just as I had expected ; pursuit in such a jun- gle was impossible, and I was perfectly contented with having turned him. The next morning, having made all arrangements for starting homeward, after breakfast I took my rifle and one gun-bearer with a double-barreled gun to enjoy one last stroll in the forest. It was just break of day when I entered the forest. My first course was to- ward the river which flowed through it, as I expected to find the game near the water, an hour before sunrise 18 » 150 The Rifle and Hound in Ceylon, being their time for drinking. I had not proceeded far before immense herds of deer offered tempting shots ; but I was out simply in search of large antlers, and none appearing of sufficient size, I would not fire. Buffaloes continually presented themselves: I was tired of shoot- ing these brutes, but I killed two who looked rather vicious ; and I amused myself with remarking the im- mense quantity of game, and imagining the number of heads that I could bag had I chosen to indulge in indis- criminate slaughter. At length I noticed a splendid buck lying on the sandy bed of the river, beneath a large tree ; his antlers were beautiful, and I stalked him to within sixty yards and shot him. I had not been reloaded ten minutes, and was walking quietly through the forest, when I saw a fine antlered buck standing wn'thin thirty yards of me, in a small patch of underwood. His head was turned toward me, and his nostrils were distended in alarm as he prepared to bound off. I had just time to cock my rifle as he dashed off at full speed ; but it was a murderous dis- tance, and he fell dead. His antlers matched exactly with those I had last shot. I turned toward the direction of the tent, and, de- scending to the bed of the river, I followed the course of the stream upon the margin of dry sand. I had pro- ceeded about half a mile, when I noticed at about a hundred and fifty paces some object moving about the trunk of a large fallen tree which lay across the bed of the river. This stem was about five feet in diameter, and I presently distinguished the antlers and then the head of a large buck, as they appeared above it : he had been drinking in the stream on the opposite side, and he n©w raised his head, sniffing the fresh breeze. It A Ctirious Shot. 15 1 was a tempting shot, and taking a very steady aim, I fired. For a moment he was down, but recovering himself he bounded up the bank, and was soon in full speed through the forest with only one antler upon his head. I picked up the fellow-antler, which the rifle- ball had cut off within an inch of his skull. This was a narrow escape. I did not reload my rifle, as I was not far from the tent, and I was tired of shooting. Giving my rifle to the gun-bearer, I took the double-barreled gun which he carried, and walked quickly toward breakfast. Suddenly I heard a crash in a small nook of thick bushes, like the rush of an elephant, and the next in- stant a buck came dashing past in full speed : his long antlers lay upon his back as he flew through the tangled saphngs with a force that seemed to defy resistance. He was the largest spotted buck that I ever saw, and, being within thirty paces, I took a flying shot with the right-hand barrel. He faltered for a moment, and I immediately fired the remaining barrel. Still he con- tinued his course, but at a reduced speed and dead lame. Loading the rifle, I soon got upon the blood- track, and I determined to hunt him down. There were many saplings in this part of the forest, and I noticed that many of them in the deer's track were besmeared with blood about two feet and a half from the ground. The tracks in the sandy soil were uneven — one of the fore feet showed a deep impression, while the other was very faint, showing that he was wounded in the leg, as his whole weight was thrown upon one foot. Slowly and cautiously I stalked along the track, occasionally lying down to look under the bushes. For about an hour I continued this slow and 152 The Rifle and Hound in Ceylon. silent chase ; the tracks became fainter, and the bleed- ing appeared to have almost ceased ; so few and far be- tween were the red drops upon the ground that I was constantly obliged to leave the gun-bearer upon the last trace while I made a cast to discover the next track. I was at length in despair of finding him, and I was attentively scrutinizing the ground for a trace of blood, which would distinguish his track from those of other deer with which the ground was covered, when I sud- denly heard a rush in the underwood, and away bounded the buck at ab)out fifty yards' distance, ap- parently as fresh as ever. The next instant he was gasping on the ground, the rifle-ball having passed ex- actly through his heart. I never could have believed that a spotted buck would have attained so large a size ; he was as large as a doe elk, and his antlers were the finest that I have ever seen of that species. It required eight men with two cross poles to bring him home. I reached the tent to breakfast at eight o'clock, hav- ing bagged three fine bucks and two buffaloes that morning ; and being, for the time, satiated with sporty I quitted Ceylon. ? j=^ Agy ^iiBpg« a HB|w ' M WWl'i*Tliti['"' which the elephants were so close that we could hear their deep breathing ; and by stooping down we could distinguish the tips cf their trunks and their feet, al- though the animals themselves were invisible. We waited about half an hour in the hope that some of the elephants might again enter the open forest ; at length two, neither of whom were above five feet high, came out and faced us. My dress of elastic green tights had become so browned by constant washing and exposure, that I matched exactly with the stem of a tree against which I was leaning, and one of the elephants kept ad- vancing toward me until I could nearly touch him with my rifle ; still he did not see me, and I did not wish to fire, as I should alarm the herd, which would then be lost for ever. Unfortunately, just at this moment, the other elephant saw Palliser, and the alarm was given. There was no help for it, and we were obliged to fire. Mine fell dead, but the other fell, and, recovering him- self immediately, he escaped in the thick jungle. This was bad luck, and we returned toward the *' amblam" to breakfast. On our way there we found that the " rogue" had concealed himself in a piece of thick jungle, backed by hills of very high lemon grass. From this stronghold we tried to drive him, and posted ourselves in a fine position to receive him should he break cover ; but he was too cunning to come out, and the beaters were too knowing to go in to drive such bad jungle ; it was, therefore, a drawn game, and we were obliged to leave him. When within a short distance of the " amblam," a fine black partridge got up at about sixty yards. I was lucky enough to knock him over with a rifle, and still more fortunate in not injuring him much with the ball, 26 T 290 The Rifle and Hound in Ceylon, which took his wing off close to his body. Half an hour afterward he formed part of our breakfast. During our breakfast a heavy shower of rain came down and continued for about two hours. In the afternoon we sallied out, determined to shoot at any large game that we might meet. We had lately confined our sport to elephants, as we did not wi&h to disturb the country by shooting at other game, but hav- ing fired in this neighborhood in the morning, we were not very particular. We walked through a lovely country for about five miles, seeing nothing whatever in the shape of game, not even a track, as all the old marks were washed out by the recent shower. At length we heard the barking of deer in the distance, and, upon going in that di- rection, we saw a fine herd of about thirty. They were standing in a beautiful meadow of about a hundred acres in extent, perfectly level, and interspersed with trees, giving it the appearance of an immense orchard rather thinly planted. One side of this plain was bounded by a rocky mountain, which rose precipitously from its base, the whole of which was covered with fine open forest. We were just stalking toward the deer when we came upon a herd of wild buffaloes in a small hollow within a close shot. Palliser wanted a pair of horns, and he was just pre- paring for a shot when we suddenly heard the trumpet of an elephant in the forest at the foot of the rocky mountain, close to us. Elephants, buffaloes and deer were all within a hun- dred yards of each other : we almost expected to see Noah's ark on the top of the hill. A yungle Trip. 291 Of course the elephants claimed our immediate atten- tion. It was Palliser's turn to lead the way ; and upon entering the forest at the foot of the mountain we found that the elephants were close to us. The forest was a perfect place for elephant-shooting. Large rocks were scattered here and there among the fine trees, free from underwood ; these rocks formed alleys of various widths, and upon such ground an elephant had no chance. There was a large rock the size of a small house lying within a few yards from the entrance of the forest. This rock was split in two pieces, forming a passage of two feet wide, but of several yards in length. As good luck would have it, an elephant stood exactly on the other side, and, Palliser leading the way, we advanced through this secure fort to the attack. On arrival at the extreme end, Palliser fired two quick shots, and, taking a spare gun, he fired a third, before we could see what was going on, we being behind him in this narrow passage. Upon passing through we thought the fun was over ; he had killed three elephants, and no more were to be seen anywhere. Hardly had he reloaded, however, when we heard a tremendous rushing thi'ough the forest in the distance ; and, upon quickly running to the spot, we came upon a whole herd of elephants, who were coming to meet us in full speed. Upon seeing us, however, they checked their speed for a moment, and Palliser and Wortley both fired, which immediately turned them. This was at rather too long a distance, and no elephants were killed. A fine chase now commenced through the open for- est, the herd rushing off at great speed. This pace soon took us out of it, and we burst upon an open plain 2^2 'The Rifle and Hound i)i Ceylon. of high lemon grass. Here I got a shot at an elephant, who separated from the main body, and I killed him. The pace was now so great that the herd fairly dis- tanced us in the tangled lemon grass, which, though play to them, was very fatiguing to us. Upon reaching the top of some rising ground, I no- ticed several elephants, at about a quarter of a mile dis- tant upon my left in high grass, while the remaining portion of the herd (three elephants) were about two hundred yards ahead, and were stepping out at full speed straight before us. Wortley had now had plenty of practice, and shot his elephants well. He and Palliser followed the three elephants, while I parted company and ran toward the other section of the herd, who were standing on some rising ground, and were making a great roaring. On arriving within a hundred yards of them I found I had caught a " Tartar," It is a very different thing, creeping up to an unsuspecting herd and attacking them by surprise, to marching up upon sheer open ground to a hunted one with wounded elephants among them, who have regularly stood at bay. This was now the case ; the ground was perfectlj open, and the lemon grass was above my head : thus I could onl}^ see the exact position of the elephants every now and then, by standing upon the numerous little rocks that were scat- tered here and there. The elephants were standi*ng upon some rising ground, from which they watched every movement as I approached. They continued to growl without a moment's intermission, being enraged not only from the noise of the firing, but on account of twc calves which they had with them, and which I could not see in the high grass. There was a gentle A yungle Trip. 293 rise in the ground within thirty paces of the spot upon which they stood ; and to this place I directed my steps with great care, hiding in the high grass as I crept toward them. During the whole of this time guns were firing with- out intermission in the direction taken by Palliser and Wortley, thus keeping my game terribly on the qzii vive. What they were firing so many shots at I could not conceive. At length I reached the rising ground. The moment that I was discovered by them the two largest elephants came toward me, with their ears cocked .and their trunks raised. I waited for a second or two till they lowered their trunks, which they presently did ; and taking a steady shot with one of my double-barreled No. 10 rifles, I floored them both by a right and left. One, however, immediately recovered, and, with the blood streaming from his forehead, he turned and retreated with the re- mainder of the herd at great speed through the high grass. The chase required great caution ; however, thev for- tunately took to a part of the country where the grass was not higher than my shoulders, and I could thus see well over it. Through this I managed to keep within fifty yards of the herd, and I carried the heavy four- ounce rifle, which I knew would give one of them a benefit if he turned to charsre. I was following the herd at this distance when they suddenly halted, and the wounded elephant turned quickly round and charged with a right good intention. He carried his head thrown back in such a position that I could not get a fair shot; but, nevertheless, the 25* 294 The mjie and Hound in Ceylon. four-ounce ball stopped him, and away he went again with the herd at full speed, the blood gushing in streams from the wounds in his head. My four-ounce is a splendid rifle for loading quickly, it being so thick in the metal that the deep groove catches the belt of the ball immediately. I was loaded in a few seconds, and again set off in pursuit. I saw the herd at about two hundred yards distant ; they had halted, and they had again faced about. I had no sooner approached within sixty paces of them, when the wounded elephant gave a trumpet, and again rushed forward out of the herd. His head was so covered with blood, and was still thrown back in such a peculiar position, that I could not get a shot at the exact mark. Again the four-ounce crashed through his skull, and, staggered with the blow, he once more turned and retreated with the herd. Loading quickly, I poured the powder down ad lih- ituniy and ran after the herd, who had made a circuit to arrive in the same forest in which we had first found them. A sharp run brought me up to them ; but, upon seeing me, they immediately stopped, and, without a moment's pause, round came my old antagonist again straight at me, with his head still raised in the same knowing position. The charge of powder was so great that it went off' like a young fieldpiece, and the ele- phant fell upon his knees ; but, again recovering him- self, he turned and went off* at such a pace that he left the herd behind, and in a few minutes I was within twenty yards of them ; but I would not fire, as I was determined to bag my wounded bird before I fired a single shot at another. They now reached the forest, but, instead of retreat* A yungJe Trip. 295 ing, the wounded elephant turned short round upon the very edge of the jungle and faced me ; the remaining oortion of the herd (consisting of two large elephants and two calves) had passed on into the cover. This was certainly a plucky elephant ; his whole face was a mass of blood, and he stood at the very spot where the herd had passed into the forest as though he was determined to guard the entrance. I was now about twenty-five yards from him, when, gathering him- self together for a decisive charge, he once more come on. I was on the point of pulling the trigger when he reeled and fell without a shot from sheer exhaustion ; but, recovering himself immediately, he again faced me, but did not move. This was a fatal pause ; he forgot the secret of throwing his head back, and he now held it in the natural position, offering a splendid shot at about twenty yards. Once more the four-ounce buried itself in his skull, and he fell dead. Palliser and Wortley came up just as I was endeavor- ing to track up the herd, which I had now lost sight of in the forest. Following upon their tracks, we soon came in view of -Bass, Cello, Grand-Organ Air Brake, Grand-Organ Swell. Two Knee- ' ps. This is a Walnut case, with Music Balcony, Sliding Desk, Side Ilandles, «tc. i mansions : Height, 75 inches; Length, 48 inches; Depth, 24 inches. This 5-Octavo I Tm, with Stool, Book and Music, we will bos and deliver at dock in New York, for 1 S, Send by express, prepaid, check, or registered letter to I SICniTSOlT Si CO.. 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Paul Clifford, by Lord Lyttou. . . 118. A New Lease of'Life,- by About. . 119. B>urbon Lilies 120 Otuer People a Mnuey, Gaboriau 121. The Lady of Lyons, Lytton... Vii. Arneline de Bourg -. . . l.J:3. A Sea Queen, by VV. Russell 124. The Ladies Lindores, by Mrs. Olinhant . 125. Haunted Hearts, by Simp.son ... 126. Lots, i ord Beresford, by The Duchefs 127. rnde>- Two Fla?^, Ouida, Pt. I. . Under Two Flags. Pt. II 128. Mouey by Lord I ytton 129. In Peril of His Life, by Gaboriau 1^0. India, by Max Muller.^ 131. Jets and Flashes . HI. Moonshine and Marguerites, by The Duchess 133. Mr Scarborough's Fan v. by Anthony Troiiope. Pai- i . . . Mr Scarborough sFamiiy.Pt II 134. Arden, by A. Mary F Robinson, 135. The Tower of Perce mout 186. Yoiande, by Wm. Black 1:^7. Cruel London by Joseph Hatton, 138. The Gilded CI que. by Gaboriau 139. PiRs ( ounty Foiled. E H. Mott. . 340. Cricket on the Hearth 141. Henry Esmond, by 'i hackeray. . 142. Stranoje Adventures of a Phae- ton. Dy Wm. Biaok 143. 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In Silk Attire, by Wm. Black. . .t?0 189. Scottish Chiefs,Jane Porter,Pt.I.20 Srotti.sh Cb.efs, Part II 20 no. Willy Reiiiy, by Will Carleton. iO 191. The Nautz Family, by Sbelley.20 192. Great Expectations, by Dickens '0 193. l-^ndennis.by Thackeray, Part 1.20 I endennis.by Thackeray,Part 11.20 194. Widow Bedott Papers 20 196. Daniel Deronda.Gi o. Eliot,Pt. 1.20 Daniel Deronda, Part II 20 196. AltioraPeto, by Oiiphan' 20 197. Bv the Ga'e of the Sea, by David Chri.stie Murray 15 198. Tales of a Traveller, by Irving ..20 190. Life and Voyages of Columbus, by Washint^ton Irving. Part I. .20 Lif. and Voyases of Columbus, by Washington Irving, Part 11.20 200. The Pilgrim's Progresi 20 201. Martin Chuzzlewit, by Charles Dickens, Part 1 20 Martin Chuzzlewit, Part II 20 209. Theophrastus Such, Geo. Eliot. . .20 '•'03. Disarmed, M. Betham-Edward8..15 204. Eugene Aram, by Lord Lytton. 20 205. The Spanish Gipsy and Other Poems, by George Eliot 20 208. Cast Up by the Sea Baker 20 207. MillontlieFioPs, Eliot. Pt. I. ..15 Mill on the Floss, Part II 15 208. Brother Jacob, and Mr. Gilfil's Love Story, by George Eliot. . .10 209. Wrecks in the Sea of Life. .... . .20 QECRET VJ OF BEAUm How to Beautify the Comvlexion. All women know that it Is beauty, rather than genius, which all generations of men have worshipped in the sex. Can it be wondered at, then, that so much of woman's time and attention should be directed to the means of developing and preiervinET that beauty! The most important adjunct to beauty is a clear, smooth, soft and beautiful skin. With this essential a lady appears handsomt, even if her features are not perfect. Ladies afflicted with Tan, Frecklcf, Bough or Discolored Skin, should lose no time in procuring and applying LAIRD'S BLOOM OI^OUTH. It will immediately obliterate-all sufch imperfection/j^ana-is entirely harm- less. 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