<vi INTRODUCTION. 



where the wild sports of the 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 fill volumes ; but enough 

 will be found, in the few scenes which I have selected 

 from whole hecatombs of slaughter, to satisfy and 

 perhaps fatigue the most patient reader. 



One fact I wish to impress upon all — that the 

 colouring of every description is diminished and not 

 exaggerated, the real scene being in all cases a picture, 

 of which the narration is but a feeble copy. 



