CHAPTER XL 



TIIE BENGAL ELEPHANT-CATCHING ESTABLISHMENT. 



JOURNEY TO DACCA — THE GANGES — A TIGER ON BOARD A RIVER-STEAMER — APPEARANCE 

 OF DACCA — MANUFACTURES OF MUSLIN, SILVER JEWELLERY, AND SHELL BANGLES— 

 THE ELEPHANT DEPOT OR PEELKHANA — SYSTEM OF ELEPHANT-HUNTING — A TRIP UP 

 A TRIBUTARY OF THE BRAHMAPOOTRA — CAMP — PECULIAR ABSENCE OF ROCK IN THE 

 GANGETIC DELTA — UNSUCCESSFUL SEARCH FOR WILD BUFFALOES — CHANGE MY GROUND 

 — A LONG HUNT AND AN UNSUCCESSFUL FINISH — BETTER LUCK — BAG FOUR BUFFA- 

 LOES — RETURN TO DACCA — DESPATCH ELEPHANTS TO CHITTAGONG — KHEDDAH PARTIES 

 — ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUPPLIES WHILST ELEPHANT-HUNTING IN THE FORESTS— DIFFI- 

 CULTIES OF THE COUNTRY — PROVISION DEPOT AT RUNGAMUTTEA — LEAVE CHITTAGONG 

 FOR THE JUNGLES — CHOLERA IN CAMP — DESERTERS— THEIR PUNISHMENT. 



I LEFT Mysore on September 1, 1875, for Bengal, and proceeded to Cal- 

 cutta. Here I reported myself to the Commissary-General, and then 

 left for Dacca, viti Goalundo. Goalundo, the terminal station of the East- 

 ern Bengal railway, is on the Ganges, 158 miles north-east of Calcutta. 

 From Goalundo river-steamers leave for Dacca, and stations in Assam, about 

 twice a- week. 



The expectations I had formed of the beauty of the Ganges were woe- 

 fully staggered. Instead of a clear rolling flood, I beheld an extremely 

 muddy tidal river. Though Goalundo is, I believe, 140 miles from the sea, 

 the tides reach far above it, and keep the river brackish, and in a constant 

 state of muddy agitation. The Ganges at Goalundo appeared to be about 

 two miles wide, and as the day was stormy there was quite a high sea run- 

 ning on its exposed surface. 



The trip to Dacca from Goalundo occupies two days ; the boats anchor 

 at sunset, as the navigation of the river is difficult. In addition to carry- 

 ing passengers, and a large number of coolies to the tea-estates in Assam 

 and elsewhere, each steamer tows two huge goods-flats. Hides, jute, and 



