136 HUNTING ADVENTURES. 



pistols for the sake of defence, and lent me a very fine double 

 barrelled gun for the same purpose. We set cut a little after three 

 on our elephants, with a servant behind each howdah, carrying a 

 large chatta, which, however, was almost needless. The Raja, in 

 spite of his fever, made his uppearance too, saying that he could 

 not bear to be left behind. A number of people, on foot and horse- 

 back, attended from our own camp and the neighboring villages, 

 and the same sort of interest and delight was evidently excited 

 which might be produced in England by a great coursing party. 

 The Raja was on a little female elephant, hardly bigger than the 

 Durham ox, and almost as shaggy as a poodle. She was a native 

 of the neighboring wood, where they are generally, though not 

 always, of a smaller size, than those of Bengal and Chittagong. 

 He sat in a low howdah,* with two or three guns ranged beside him 

 ready for action. -Mr. Boulderson had also a formidable apparatus 

 of muskets and fowling-pieces, projecting over his mohout's head. 

 We rede about two miles across a plain covered with long jungle 

 grass, which very much put me in mind of the country near the 

 Cuban. Q,uails and wild-fowl arose in great numbers, and beautifu, 

 antelopes were seen scudding away in all directions." 



The Bishop then describes the beating of the jungle, the rushing 

 out of two curious animals of the elk kind, called the " mohr," and 

 the growing anxiety of all the people engaged in the hunt. He 

 then proceeds thus : 



' At last the elephants all drew up their trunks into the air, 

 began to roar, and stamp violently with their fore-feet. The Raja's 

 little elephant turned short round, and in spite of all her mohout 

 ^her driver) could say or do, took up her post, to the Raja's great 

 annoyance, close in the rear of Mr. Boulderson. The other three 

 (for one of my baggage elephants had come out too, the mohcut, 

 though unarmed, not caring to miss the show) went on slowly, but 

 boldly, with their trunks raised, their ears expanded, and their 

 sagacious little eyes bent inUntly forward. ' We are close upcn 

 him,' said Mr. Boulderson; 'fire where you see the long grass 



* The Uowdah is a seat somewh.it resembling the body of a gig, and is fastened 

 by girths to the back of the elephant. 



