5? The Wild Elephant. 



nearer to reasoning powers than any other instance I can 

 now remember. I cannot do justice to the scene, although 

 it appeared to me at the time to be so remarkable that it 

 left a deep impression in my mind. 



" In the height of the dry season in Neuera-Kalawa, 

 you know the streams are all dried up, and the tanks 

 nearly so. All animals are then sorely pressed for water, 

 and they congregate in the vicinity of those tanks in 

 which there may remain ever so little of the precious 

 element. 



■ " During one of those seasons I was encamped on the 

 bund or embankment of a very small tank, the water in 

 which was so dried that its surface could not have 

 exceeded an area of 500 square yards. It was the only 

 pond within many miles, and I knew that of necessity 

 a very large herd of elephants, which had been in the 

 neighbourhood all day, must resort to it at night. 



" On the lower side of the tank, and in a line with the 

 embankment, was a thick forest, in which the elephants 

 sheltered themselves during the day. On the upper side 

 and all around the tank there was a considerable margin 

 of open ground. It was one of those beautiful bright, 

 clear, moonlight nights, when objects could be seen almost 

 as distinctly as by day, and I determined to avail myself 

 of the opportunity to observe the movements of the herd, 

 which had already manifested some uneasiness at our 

 presence. The locality was very favourable for my pur- 

 pose, and an enormous tree projecting over the tank 

 afforded me a secure lodgement in its branches. Having 

 ordered the fires of my camp to be extinguished at an 



