chap. x. DISCOVER A HERD. 227 



Following the tracks, we began to ascend steep flights 

 of natural steps formed by the successive layers of 

 rock, which girded the foot of the mountain ; these 

 were covered with jungle, interspersed with large de- 

 tached masses of granite, which in some places formed 

 alleys through which the herd had passed. The surface 

 of the ground being nothing but hard rock, tracking 

 was very difficult, and it took me a considerable time 

 to follow them up by the pieces of twigs and crunched 

 leaves, which the elephants had dropped while feeding. 

 I at length tracked them to a small pool formed by 

 the rain-water in the hollow of the rock ; here they 

 had evidently been drinking only a few minutes 

 previous, as the tracks of their feet upon the margii* 

 of the pool were still wet. I now went on in advance 

 of the party with great caution, as I knew that 

 we were not many paces from the herd. Passing 

 through several passages among the rocks, I came 

 suddenly upon a level plateau of ground covered 

 with dense lemon grass about twelve feet high, which 

 was so thick and tangled, that a man could with 

 difficulty force his way through it. This level space 

 was about two acres in extent, and was surrounded 

 by jungle upon all sides but one ; on this side, to our 

 right as we entered, the mountain rose in rocky steps, 

 from the crevices of which, the lemon grass grew in 

 tall tufts. 



The instant that I arrived in this spot, I perceived 



