CHANGE OF PLANS. 107 



During the next few days I hit upon a plan for the future which had 

 the great advantage that few men would he required to execute it, and even 

 undisciplined ones could hardly spoil it. This was to fortify cover D, so as 

 to prevent the egress of elephants after they had once entered it, and to 

 catch them in it, instead of trusting to a drive in open country. 



The elephant season in the low country — June to December — was now 

 over, and the herds had betaken themselves to the hills, but I commenced 

 in January 1874 to put the cover in readiness, during the dry weather, for 

 the coming rainy season. I employed a European overseer, Jones, to help 

 me, and it was fortunate I had such assistance, as I was frequently pros- 

 trated during the hot weather by attacks of ague and fever, the result of 

 the exposure I had unavoidably been subjected to for the past few months. 

 I found leisure to superintend the building of a rough bungalow instead of 

 living in a tent, and I also amused myself by shooting a few of the tigers 

 in the neighbourhood. Amongst these was the Iyenpoor man-eater. 



It will be seen by reference to the sketch-plan that the Honglewaddy 

 channel approaches the river to within 3 yards at B. It then runs inland, 

 owing to the levelness of the country, but again approaches to within 90 

 yards of the river at C, near the temple. The space (cover D) bounded by 

 the channel between B and C, and the river, is about 5 acres in extent, 

 and consists of a jungle of large trees, forest creeping-plants, and several 

 strong thickets. In this retreat it had been the immemorial habit of 

 herds of elephants to take shelter at certain seasons, and to issue forth at 

 nights into the adjacent cultivated country. The north bank of the river 

 was so steep that they could not cross at any point between fords X, X ; 

 whilst there were only five places where they could cross the channel on the 

 west, as it was deep and had perpendicular banks. I, however, had the 

 banks cut to a uniform vertical height of 10 feet, except at the crossings, 

 to make sure of the elephants not getting out of the cover when once in. 

 To barricade the channel crossings, each about 10 yards in width, cocoa- 

 nut trees, which are exceedingly strong and light when dry, were kept in 

 readiness ; and to prevent the elephants escaping by passing up or down 

 the river (past B and C), the bed was spanned at those points by barriers 

 composed of five rows of heavy chains. As soon as elephants entered the 

 cover (of their own accord), it would only be necessary to connect the 

 channel and river at B and C by cross trenches to make the surround 

 complete. 



All was in readiness by May. After a few showers the early rains set 

 in in good earnest, and on May 5 th a large herd of elephants came down the 

 hills into the low- country jungles. On the 10th five of them visited 



