AN ELEPHANTS ROLL. 143 



hours. About five hundred were resting at the foot of a steep ascent, in 

 which was a pass where they could only go in single file, and which took 

 much time to get over. I saw we should be kept for hours if this were 

 the only way up, but I felt assured that the opposite side of the spur, 

 round which the nullah wound, must be at least as easy as this ; so leaving 

 Sergeant Carter and half the following to get up by the first route, I took 

 all the elephants and the rest of the men along the nullah and round the 

 spur, where we put the elephants at the steep ascent, the unloaded ones 

 taking the lead and breaking down the bamboos and long grass. After a 

 tedious climb under a hot sun, we reached a level saddle on the top at 

 twelve o'clock ; at the same time Sergeant Carter brought up the last of his 

 detachment. 



The men now preceded us along the narrow saddle, whilst the elephants 

 rested to cool and feed after their climb, and we followed in an hour. The 

 saddle was exceedingly narrow, and obstructed with bamboos and the ever- 

 lasting grass, and a mishap occurred in the worst part, which, fortunately, 

 was not as serious as it might have been. One elephant, Chumpa, wns 

 leading, mine being second at the time, when a large portion of earth over 

 which she was passing suddenly gave way, and with a bellow of fright poor 

 Chumpa slid down some yards, and then rolled over and over five distinct 

 times down the steep grass hill, and just stopped short of a deep ravine at 

 the bottom. It was a terrible sight to see an elephant, toes up, making 

 such rolls. The mahout saved himself by jumping off when the earth 

 slipped, and clinging to the grass. I sprang from my elephant instantly. 

 As Chumpa made no sound when she got to the bottom I feared she must 

 be killed. There was a great smashing of pots and pans during her roll, 

 for she carried the native doctor's effects, amongst which were his live-stock, 

 consisting of eight clucks. 



Looking down the long lane in the grass I was relieved to see Chumpa 

 getting on to her feet ; her gear was left half-way, the girth-ropes having 

 broken. Her mahout, like many natives when suddenly confronted by 

 danger or difficulty, had quite lost his senses, and now commenced to beat 

 his mouth, and cry that his elephant was dead. I gave him a box on the 

 ear (Lord Lytton's Minute on the Fuller case had not been written then) 

 that sent him flying down the slippery lane after his elephant, which he 

 nearly reached before he pulled up. I followed, holding on by the grass, 

 and we tried to soothe the poor beast after her fright. She did not seem 

 hurt, and we got her on the path again with some trouble. I had often 

 passed precipitous places on elephants with my legs dangling over vacuity. 

 I made a mental note of this occurrence, and decided in future to turn the 



