chap, vi FURY OF A BULL BUFFALO. 121 



other with great fury. Upon these occasions they are 

 generally the most dangerous, all their natural ferocity 

 being increased by the heat of the combat. I was once 

 in pursuit of an elephant which led me across the plain 

 at Minneria, when I suddenly observed a large bull 

 buffalo making towards me, as though to cut me off in 

 the very direction in which I was advancing. Upon 

 his near approach I noticed numerous bloody cuts and 

 scratches upon his neck and shoulders, which were 

 evidently only just made by the horns of some bull 

 with whom he had been fighting. Not wishing to 

 fire, lest I should alarm the elephant, I endeavoured 

 to avoid him, but this was no easy task. He ad- 

 vanced to within fifty paces of me, and, ploughing 

 up the ground with his horns, and roaring, he seemed 

 determined to make an attack. However, I managed 

 to pass him at length, being determined to pay 

 him off on my return, if he were still in the same 

 spot. 



On arriving near the position of the elephant, I saw 

 at once that it was impossible to get him : he was 

 standing in a deep morass of great extent, backed by 

 thick jungles, and I could not approach nearer than 

 150 paces. After trying several ruses to induce him 

 to quit his mud-bath and come on, I found it was 

 of no use ; he was not disposed to be a fighter, as he 

 saw my strong position upon some open rising ground 

 among some large trees. I therefore took a rest 



