CHITTAGONG. 133 



every day, marching in an extended line as if beating, but moving slowly 

 so that they might feed. They were a very fine lot, and their men seemed 

 willing and active fellows, and though I could not talk to them as they 

 spoke Bengalee, we got along capitally by signs, and the aid of an inter- 

 preter when necessary. The latter was a rather complicated way of con- 

 versing, as I had to speak to Jaffer in Canarese (not his language more than 

 my own), who translated into Hindoostanee to a Bengalee who understood 

 Hindoostanee. This was similar to an Englishman's telling a German in 

 French what he would communicate to an Italian who understood German ! 



After my return to Dacca I made an interesting trip into the Garrow 

 hills in Assam, of which I shall give a short account further on. In 

 November I despatched 79 elephants of previous years' capture to Bar- 

 rackpoor, they being sufficiently trained for service ; and I then started 

 80 elephants to Chittagong, 154 miles by land, to proceed by slow stages, 

 with a view to commencing the catching-operations of the season. I fol- 

 lowed by sea from Calcutta on December 13th, but I had previously to 

 recall 30 of my 80 elephants to assist in driving the covers near Goal- 

 undo, where his Eoyal Highness the Prince of Wales and party intended to 

 make their dtbut in pig-sticking. Arrived at Chittagong, I found that the 

 two jemadars whom I had sent a month beforehand to collect two khed- 

 dah parties had made all preliminary arrangements, and it only remained 

 for me to advance the men two months' pay, and to make arrangements 

 for the provisions we should require when beyond the reach of civilisation. 



Chittagong is a district situated in the north-east corner of the Bay of 

 Bengal. It is divided into two tracts, of widely differing character, — viz., 

 the coast district (2700 square miles), well cultivated and populated, and 

 producing a large surplus stock of rice for exportation ; and the hill-tracts 

 (6800 square miles), inhabited by but a few rude tribes, and clothed with 

 dense jungle. From the latter tract immense supplies of wood for boat- 

 building and household purposes are drawn by the inhabitants of the coast 

 district, by way of the Kurnafoolie river, which forms a highroad into the 

 hills, as it is navigable almost to its source, as are also its tributaries. In 

 these hills wild elephants abound, and the locality has been one of the chief 

 hunting-grounds for the supply of these animals to Government for about a 

 hundred years, and probably long before that to former native Governments. 

 The professional elephant-catchers are all Chittagong men, and their skill 

 in their profession is unrivalled. The hillmen never engage in the work. 



I had decided, upon the advice of the most experienced men, to work 

 near the head-waters of the Chengree (vide map) and Myanee rivers, but I 

 found it most difficult to obtain any exact account of the distances and 



