soo THE RIFLE AND HOUND IN CEYLON, chap. IX. 



CHAPTER IX. 



A Morning's Deer-coursing — Kondawataweny — Rogue at Kondawa 

 taweny — A Close Shave — Preparations for Catching an Elephant — 

 Catching an Elephant — Taming Him — Flying Shot at a Buck — Cave 

 at Dimbooldene — Awkward Ground — A Charmed Life. 



It was in July, 1848, that I pitched my tent in 

 the portion of Ceylon known as the ' Park,' for the 

 purpose of deer-coursing. I had only three grey- 

 hounds, Killbuck, Bran and Lena, and these had been 

 carried in a palanquin from Newera Ellia, a distance 

 of one hundred miles. The grass had all been burnt 

 about two months previously, and the whole country 

 was perfectly fresh and green, the young shoots not 

 being more than half a foot high. The deer were 

 numerous but wild, which made the sport the more 

 enjoyable. I cannot describe the country better than 

 by comparing it to a rich English park, well watered 

 by numerous streams and large rivers, but ornamented 

 by many beautiful rocky mountains, which are seldom 

 to be met with in England. If this part of the country 

 had the advantage of the Newera Ellia climate, it 

 would be a Paradise, but the intense heat destroys 



