Introduction. J 



land where civilization has not yet banished the wild beast 

 from the soiL 



Ceylon is a delightful country for the sporting tourist In 

 the high road to India and China, any length of time may be 

 spent en passant, and the voyage by the overland route is 

 nothing but a trip of a few weeks of pleasure. 



This island has been always celebrated for its elephants, but 

 the other branches of sport are comparatively unknown to 

 strangers. No account has ever been written which embraces 

 all Ceylon sports : anecdotes of elephant-shooting fill the 

 pages of nearly every work on Ceylon ; but the real character 

 of the wild sports of this island has never been described, 

 because the writers have never been acquainted with each 

 separate branch of the Ceylon chase. 



A residence of many years in this lovely country, where 

 the wild sports of tne island have formed a never-failing and 

 constant amusement, alone confers sufficient experience to 

 enable a person to give a faithful picture of both shooting and 

 hunting in Ceylon jungles. 



In describing these sports I shall give no anecdotes of 

 others, but I shall simply recall scenes in which I myself have 

 shared, preferring even a character for egotism rather than 

 relate the statements of hearsay, for the truth of which I 

 could not vouch. This must be accepted as an excuse for the 

 unpleasant use of the first person. 



There are many first-rate sportsmen in Ceylon who could 

 furnish anecdotes of individual risks and hairbreadth escapes 

 (the certain accompaniments to elephant-shooting) that would 



