88 THE RIFLE AND HOUND IN CEYLON, chap. v. 



Arabian origin, and they hold the Mohammedan re- 

 ligion. The Rhatamahatmeya, or head man of the 

 district, resides at Doolana, and he had received us in 

 a most hospitable manner. We therefore started 

 direct from his house. 



Passing through a belt of low thick jungle, exactly 

 in front of the village, we entered upon the plain which 

 formed the border of the tank. This lake is about 

 three miles in length, but is not more than a mile in 

 width in its widest part, and in some places is very 

 much less. The opposite side of the tank is fine open 

 forest, which grows to the water's edge, and is in some 

 parts flooded during the wet season. At this time the 

 soil was deep and muddy. 



This was not a place visited by sportsmen at that 

 period ; and upon arriving at the margin of the lake, 

 an exciting view presented itself. Scattered over the 

 extent of the lake were ' thirteen rogue elephants ; ' 

 one was not a quarter of a mile from us ; another was 

 so far off he could hardly be distinguished ; another 

 was close to the opposite jungle ; and they were, in 

 fact, all single elephants. There was an exception 

 to this, however, in one pair, who stood in the very 

 centre of the tank, side by side ; they were as black- 

 as ebony, and although in view with many brother 

 rogues, they appeared giants even among giants. 

 The Moormen immediately informed us that they 

 were a notorious pair, who always associated to- 



