IN THE SAL FORESTS 377 



buffaloes, out of which I bagged a very fine big cow. 

 Coming home had a long shot at a gdona, or red deer. 

 Saw five more of these fine animals in the sal jungle near 

 camp. 



" Went out in the afternoon. The jungle to the east oi 

 this village appears a very likely place for sport. First we 

 saw a bull buffalo, who however spied us first, before we 

 saw him, and made off. As it was getting dusk we did not 

 follow him. Came on a few bison grazing, but was frus- 

 trated in my attempt at near approach by a very wary cow. 

 Took a longish shot, and as I fired they all made off, and 

 close to them a large herd of buffaloes. There were also 

 some red deer or ' Barasingha ' in the long grass. Nearer 

 the village shot a ' four-horned deer ' ." 



To give more than these few extracts might prove weari- 

 some. The writer of them describes more sport with 

 buffaloes, bison, tigers, bears, and red deer, during the early 

 rains that followed the mirrig, of which mention has 

 previously been made. His notes show what a splendid 

 head of game that country once supported. As the country 

 itself is now no whit more cultivated and but little more 

 opened-up than in those old times, this is a particularly 

 clear case of the horrible havoc wrought by the native 

 gunner. Many a tale the writer could unfold concerning 

 the ravages of the poacher and the enormities of the horn- 

 merchant in those tracts. 



As regards the danger of hunting the wild buffalo of 

 those parts, sportsmen appear to be somewhat divided in 

 opinion. The writer of the diaries above referred to only 

 once found himself in a position of danger, and that in the 

 days of muzzle-loading weapons ; and although particular 

 buffaloes are noted to have shown considerable malice in 

 the way of butting trees and making blind attacks on other 

 inanimate objects when wounded, the majority seem to 

 have acted similarly to those of which we ourselves had 

 experience, showing the greatest anxiety to escape their 



