14 Lieut, n. 11. Kelham on 



morning early in November 1877 I bagged thirty-five couple 

 by midday, and had quite as good sport on other occasions ; 

 but during the season of 1879, which was an exceptionally 

 good one, the birds simjjly swarming, far larger bags Avcre 

 made, an officer of my regiment having bagged fifty-six couple 

 to his own gun on one day, and fifty-four on another. But this 

 represents good shooting ; for it must not be imagined that 

 the birds can be knocked down with a stick. Far from it, any 

 thing over twenty couple means really straight shooting and 

 hard work, as the walking is bad and the heat intense. 



A good retriever is very useful ; but few dogs can stand the 

 sun for any length of time. I used to keep mine closely 

 clipped, except his head and a broad stripe down his back, 

 which proved a great protection to his spine ; but in spite of all 

 precautions, after a time, he got altogether out of condition. 

 Without a dog birds are often lost, particularly on bushy 

 ground, though the Malay boys, sharp little urchins, with 

 more intelligence than clothes, who follow and carry one's 

 cartridges, are generally very good at marking down the dead 

 and wounded ; still a dog is preferable to the best of human 

 retrievers. 



Near Taiping, in the native state of Larut, I was once one 

 of a party who attempted to shoot Snipe from elephants ; but 

 I cannot advise any one to go and do likewise, at least if their 

 dinner depends on what they kill. It happened thus. We 

 had been all day in the jungle after a rogue elephant, which 

 had done considerable mischief; but he proved two much for 

 us, and got safely away to the hills without giving any one 

 the slightest chance of a shot, though at one time we were 

 close to him. In the afternoon, on our way home, we had 

 to pass near a celebrated Snipe-ground of considerable ex- 

 tent, swampy, and much overgrown with low bushes. " Let's 

 try and shoot some Snipe from our elephants' backs ! " ex- 

 claimed one of our number. The novelty of the thing pleased 

 all ; so off we started ; and a queer sight it was. Five elephants 

 advanced in line, about a hundred yards apart, each carry- 

 ing two guns ; while in the intervals, but a little in the rear, 

 came several Sikhs of the military police of the district, fine 



