68 The Rifle and Hound in Ceylon. 



is a sweet grass, growing about two feet high, and so 

 partial are the elephants to this food that they will in- 

 vade the isolated field even during the day-time. Driven 

 out by shouts and by shots fired by the natives from 

 their secure watch-houses, they will retreat to their 

 cover, but in a few minutes they will reappear from 

 another part of the jungle and again commence their 

 depredations. 



The havoc committed by a large herd of elephants 

 can well be imagined. 



In this instance there were only three elephants a 

 large bull with a mother and her young one, or what we 

 call a " poonchy." On entering the korrakan field we 

 distinctly heard them breaking the boughs at no great 

 distance. We waited for some time to see if they 

 would return to the field ; but they apparently were 

 aware of some impending danger, as they did not move 

 from their strong position. This was a cunning family 

 of elephants, as they had retreated " down wind," and 

 the jungle being so thick that we could with difficulty 

 follow even upon their track made it very doubtful 

 whether we should kill them. 



We cautiously entered. It was one mass of thorns, 

 and we were shortly compelled to crawl upon our 

 hands and knees. This was arduous work, as we had 

 great difficulty in carrying the guns so as to avoid the 

 slightest noise. I was leading the way, and could dis- 

 tinctly hear the rustling of the leaves as the elephants 

 moved their ears. We were now within a few feet of 

 them, but not an inch of their bodies could be seen, so 

 effectually were they hidden by the thick jungle. Sud- 

 denly we heard the prolonged wh-r-r, wh-r-r-r-r-r, as 

 "one of *Vie elephants winded us ; the shrill trumpet 



