I had formerly enjoyed so much sport.
From the rich bed of the dry lake sprang a fine silky grass of about two
feet in height, forming a level plain of velvet green far as the eye
could reach. The turf was firm and elastic; the four o'clock sun had
laid aside the fiercest of his rays, and threw a gentle glow over the
scene, which reminded me of an English midsummer evening. There is so
little ground in Ceylon upon which a horse can gallop without the risks
of holes, bogs, and rocks that we could not resist a canter upon such
fine turf; and although the horses had made a long journey already, they
seemed to enjoy a more rapid pace when they felt the inviting sward
beneath their feet. Although every inch of this country had been
familiar to me, I felt some difficulty in finding the way to the
appointed spot, the scene was so changed by the disappearance of the
water.
There were fresh elephants' tracks in many parts of the plain, and I was
just anticipating good sport for the next day, when we suddenly heard an
elephant trumpet in the open forest, which we were skirting. The next
instant I saw eight elephants among the large trees which bordered the
forest. For the moment I thought it was a herd, but I almost immediately
noticed the constrained and unnatural positions in which they were
standing. They were all tied to different trees by the legs, and upon
approaching the spot, we found an encampment of Arabs and Moormen who
had been noosing elephants for sale. We at once saw that the country was
disturbed, as these people had been employed in catching elephants for
some weeks.
After a ride of seven or eight miles along the plain, I discovered a
thin blue line of smoke rising from the edge of a distant forest, and
shortly after, I could distinguish forms moving on the plain in the same
direction. Cantering towards the spot, we found our coolies and
encampment. The tents were pitched under some noble trees, which
effectually excluded every ray of sun. It was the exact spot upon which
I had been accustomed to encamp some years ago. The servants had
received orders when they started from Kandy, to have dinner prepared at
five o'clock on the 17th of November; it was accordingly ready on our
arrival.
Minneria was the appointed rendezvous from which this trip was to
commence. Our party was to consist of the Honourable E. Stuart Wortley,*
(* The present Lord Wharncliffe.)E. Palliser, Esq., Lieutenant V. Baker,
S.W. Baker. My brother had unfortunately only fourteen days' leave from
his regiment, and he and I had accordingly hurried on a day in advance
of our party, they having still some preparations to complete in Kandy,
and not being quite so well horsed for a quick journey.
Nothing could be more comfortable than our arrangements. Our followers
and establishment consisted of four personal servants, an excellent
cook, four horse-keepers, fifty coolies, and Wallace; in all, sixty
people. The coolies were all picked men, who gave not the slightest
trouble during the whole trip. We had two tents, one of which contained
four beds and a general dressing-table; the other, which was my
umbrella-shaped tent, was arranged as the diningroom, with table and
chairs. With complete dinner and breakfast services for four persons,
and abundance of table linen, we had everything that could be wished
for. Although I can rough it if necessary, I do not pretend to prefer
discomfort from choice. A little method and a trifling extra cost will
make the jungle trip anything but uncomfortable. There was nothing
wanting in our supplies. We had sherry, madeira, brandy and curacoa,
biscuits, tea, sugar, coffee, hams, tongues, sauces, pickles, mustard,
sardines en huile, tins of soups and preserved meats and vegetables,
currant jelly for venison, maccaroni, vermicelli, flour, and a variety
of other things that add to the comfort of the jungle, including last,
but not least, a double supply of soap and candles. No one knows the
misery should either of these fail--dirt and darkness is the necessary
consequence.
There was a large stock of talipots* (*Large leaves from the talipot
tree.) to form tents for the people and coverings for the horses in case
of rain; in fact, there never was a trip more happily planned or more
comfortably arranged, and there was certainly never such a battery
assembled in Ceylon as we now mustered. Such guns deserve to be
chronicled :--
Wortley . . 1 single barrel rifle . 3-ounce
" . . 1 double " rifle . No. 12.
" . . 2 double " guns . No. 12.
Palliser . . 1 single " rifle . No. 8 (my old 2-ounce)
" . . 1 double " rifle . No. 12.
" . . 2 double " guns . No. 12.
V. Baker . 3 double " " . No. 14.
" . . 1 double " " . No. 12.
" . . 1 single " rifle . No. 14.
S. W. Baker . 1 single " rifle . 4-ounce.
" . . 3 double " rifles No. 10.
" . . 1 double " gun . No. 16.
18 guns.
These guns were all by the first makers, and we took possession of our
hunting country with the confidence of a good bag, provided that game
was abundant.
But how changed was this country since I had visited it in former years,
not only in appearance but in the quantity of game!
On these plains, where in times past I had so often counted immense
herds of wild buffaloes, not one was now to be seen. The deer were
scared and in small herds, not exceeding seven or ten, proving how they
had been thinned out by shooting. In fact, Minneria had become within
the last four years a focus for most sportsmen, and the consequence was,
that the country was spoiled; not by the individual shooting of
visitors, but by the stupid practice of giving the natives large
quantities of powder and ball as a present at the conclusion of a trip.
They, of course, being thus supplied with ammunition, shot the deer and
buffaloes without intermission, and drove them from the country by
incessant harassing.
