46 SUNDERBUNDS BUFFALO 



taking her out to sea. But a rumour had reached 

 Meyer that on the island, which is uninhabited, 

 there dwelt a herd of prehistoric buffalo. We 

 reached the island on Tuesday morning at day- 

 break (December 2ist). To our intense delight, 

 we made out with our glasses some buffalo near 

 the shore. 



We did not wait for breakfast, but rowed to 

 shore at once. The island, like ancient Gaul, is 

 divided into three parts : first there is a broad strip 

 of sand; then a strip of marsh land covered with 

 short grass and about a mile wide ; inside this belt 

 is a dense jungle of stunted, small trees. We made 

 straight for the jungle and soon saw a large herd 

 of buffalo cows and calves grazing on the grass 

 belt. I think they were four small' herds bunched 

 together. We walked, or rather crept, cautiously 

 up to them, but saw no bulls. Later on we made 

 out four bulls grazing apart about 300 yards from 

 us, and some 100 yards separating the one from 

 the other. We decided to get up two trees and 

 send the boat close inshore with a shot-gun, hoping 

 the firing would scare the bulls and drive them to 

 the jungle. But buffalo are the least timid and 

 the most savage brutes existing. All they did was 

 to walk to the water-edge, stamp and snort, and 

 look savagely at the boat. No native will will- 

 ingly beat up buffalo. We dared not stop in the 

 Bay of Bengal at night, especially as it looked like 

 rough weather. I was " mad keen " to get a 

 buffalo, and in spite of Meyer's protest, I deter- 

 mined to stalk the bulls and shoot. I crept to 

 within 200 yards, took a steady shot at the 

 nearest, and knocked him over; then I knocked 



