chat\ vi. BUFFALO-SHOOTING AT MINNERIA LAKE. 125 



quick tossing of the head may appear to portend a 

 charge, but the animals are generally satisfied with 

 this demonstration, and retreat. 



Attack the single bulls and follow them up, and 

 they will soon show their real character. Heavy rifles 

 then make a good sport of what would otherwise be a 

 chance of ten to one against the man. It must be re- 

 membered that the attack is generally upon an exten- 

 sive plain, without a single sheltering tree ; escape by 

 speed is therefore impossible, and even a horse must 

 be a good one or a buffalo will catch him. 



Without wading through the many scenes of car- 

 nage that I have witnessed in this branch of sport, I 

 will sum up the account of buffalo-shooting by a de- 

 cription of one day's work at Minneria. 



The tent was pitched in a secluded spot beneath 

 some shady trees, through which no ray of sun could 

 penetrate ; the open forest surrounded it on all sides, 

 but through the vistas of dark stems the beautiful 

 green plain and glassy lake could be seen stretching 

 into an undefined distance. The blue hills, apparent- 

 ly springing from the bosom of the lake, lined the 

 horizon, and the shadowy forms of the Kandian moun- 

 tains mingled indistinctly with the distant clouds. 

 From this spot, with a good telescope, I could watch 

 the greater part of the plain, which was at this time 

 enlivened by the numerous herds of wild buffaloes 



