Return to the Park Country* 189 



village, and we were therefore obliged to tie him to a 

 tree for the night. The next morning we succeeded in 

 driving him to the village. He was a fine elephant, 

 but not full grown, and for this reason he had been se- 

 lected from the herd for capture, as they are more valu- 

 able at this particular period of their growth, being 

 more easily rendered docile than when older." He was 

 about sixteen years of age ; and by starving for two 

 days and subsequent gentle treatment, the natives 

 mounted and rode him on the third day of his capture, 

 taking the precaution, however, of first securing his 

 trunk. This elephant was then worth fifteen pounds 

 to be sold to the Arabs for the Indian market. 



After a stay of a few days in this neighborhood, 

 during which we had good sport in elephant-shooting, 

 we returned to the Pai'k country. The first evening of 

 our return we heard elephants roaring in the jungle 

 within a short distance of the tent. At daybreak the 

 next morning we were on their tracks, and after a walk 

 of five miles we found them in thick thorny jungle, and 

 only killed three. We had a long day's work, and we 

 were returning home in the afternoon when we sud- 

 denly observed a hei'd of deer grazing in the beautiful 

 park. The headman of this part of the country is a 

 first-rate sportsman, and has always accompanied me 

 in shooting through this district. This man, whose 

 name is Banda, is the only Cingalese that I have ever 

 seen who looks like a man of good birth in his nation. 

 Strikingly handsome and beautifully proportioned, with 

 the agility of a deer, he is in all respects the beau ideal 

 of a native hunter. His skill in tracking is superb, and 

 his thorough knowledge of the habits of all Ceylon ani- 

 mals, especially of elephants, renders him a valuable 



