There Was No Mistaking The Sound, And We Were Soon At The Spot.
This Jungle Was Very Extensive, And The Rocky Bed Of A Mountain-Torrent
Divided It Into Two Portions; On The Right Hand Was Fine Open Forest,
And On The Left Thorny Chenar.
The elephants were in the open forest,
close to the edge of the torrent.
The herd winded us just as we were approaching up the steep ascent of
the rocky stream, and they made a rush across the bed of the torrent to
gain the thick jungle on the opposite bank. Banda immediately beckoned
to me to come into the jungle with the intention of meeting the
elephants as they entered, while Palliser was to command the narrow
passage, in which there was only space for one person to shoot, without
confusion.
In the mean time, Palliser knocked over three elephants as they crossed
the stream, while we, on reaching the thick jungle, found it so dense
that we could see nothing. Just as we were thinking of returning again
to the spot that we had left, we heard a tremendous rush in the bush,
coming straight towards us. In another instant I saw a mass of twisted
and matted thorns crashing in a heap upon me. I had barely time to jump
on one side, as the elephant nearly grazed me, and I fired both barrels
into the tangled mass that he bore upon his head. I then bolted, and
took up a good position at a few yards' distance. The shots in the head
had so completely stunned the elephant that she could not move. She now
stood in a piece of jungle so dense that we could not see her, and
Palliser creeping up to her, while we stood ready to back him, fired
three shots without the least effect. She did not even move, being
senseless with the wound. One of my men then gave him my four-ounce
rifle. A loud report from the old gun sounded the elephant's knell, and
closed the sport for that trip.
We returned to Nielgalla, the whole of that day's bag belonging to
Palliser--four elephants and two buffaloes. We packed up our traps, and
early the next morning we started direct for Newera Ellia, having in
three weeks from the day of our departure from Kandy bagged fifty
elephants, five deer, and two buffaloes; of which, Wortley had killed to
his bag, ten elephants and two deer; Palliser sixteen elephants and two
buffaloes; V. Baker, up to the time of his leaving us, two elephants.
CHAPTER XII.
CONCLUSION.
Thus ended a trip, which exhibited the habits and character of elephants
in a most perfect manner. From the simple experience of these three
weeks' shooting a novice might claim some knowledge of the elephant; and
the journal of this tour must at once explain, even to the most
uninitiated, the exact proportion of risk with which this sport is
attended, when followed up in a sportsmanlike manner.
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