7^ 



The Wild Elephant. 



But notwithstanding this prodigious destruction, a 

 reward of a few shilUngs per head offered by the 

 Government for taking elephants was claimed for 3,500 

 destroyed in part of the northern province alone, in 

 less than three years prior to 1 848 ; and between 1 85 1 

 and 1856, a similar reward was paid for 2,000 in the 

 southern province, between Galle and Hambangtotte. 



Although there is little opportunity in an elephant 

 battue for the display of proficiency as a shot there is 

 one feature in the sport, as conducted in Ceylon, which 



rating the sufferings of an old hound, 

 which, although " toothless," he cheered 

 on to assail a boar at bay, but the poor 

 dog recoiled " covered with blood, cut 

 nearly in half, with a wound fourteen 

 inches in length, from the lower part 

 of the belly, passing up the flank, com- 

 pletely severing the muscles of the 

 hind leg, and extending up the spine ; 

 his hind leg having the appearance of 

 being nearly off." In this state, forget- 

 ful of the character he had so lately 

 given of the true sportsman, as a lover 

 of nature and a hater of cruelty, he 

 encouraged " the poor old dog," as he 

 calls him, to resume the fight with the 

 boar, which lasted for an hour, when 

 he managed to call the dogs off ; and, 

 perfectly exhausted, the mangled hound 

 crawled out of the jungle with several 

 additional wounds, including a severe 

 gash in his throat. "He fell from 

 exhaustion, and we made a litter with 

 two poles and a horsecloth to carry 

 him home." (P. SU-) I*" such were 

 the habitual enjoyments of this class of 

 sportsmen, their motiveless massacres 

 would admit of no manly justification. 

 In comparison with them one is dis- 

 posed to regard almost with favour the 

 exploits of a hunter like Major Rogers, 



who is said to have applied the value 

 of the ivory obtained from his encoun- 

 ters towards the purchase of his suc- 

 cessive regimental commissions, and 

 had, therefore, an object, however dis- 

 proportionate, in his slaughter of 1,400 

 elephants. 



One gentleman in Ceylon, not less 

 di.stinguish'ed for his genuine kindness 

 of heart, than for his marvellous suc- 

 cess in shooting elephants, avowed to 

 me that the eagerness with which he 

 found himself impelled to pursue them 

 had often excited surprise in his own 

 mind ; and although he had never read 

 the theory of Lord Karnes, or the 

 speculations of Vicesimus Knox, he 

 had come to the conclusion that the 

 passion thus excited within him was a 

 remnant of the hunter's instinct, with 

 which m.an was originally endowed to 

 enable him, by the chase, to support 

 existence in a state of nature, and 

 which, though rendered dormant by 

 civilisation, had not been utterly eradi- 

 cated. 



This theory is at least more con- 

 sistent and intelligible' than the "love 

 of nature and scenery," sentimentally 

 propounded by the author quoted 

 above. 



