98 DIARY OF A SPORTSMAN NATURALIST 



and streams being the " roads " of the country and much 

 of the travelling being done by water. To the north the 

 district abutted on the South Lushai Hills of the Assam 

 Province. 



This tract of country is of extraordinary interest. In the 

 old days, and not so far off either, the smaller one-horned 

 rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus) roamed over these jungles. 

 Alas, he has gone now for ever, the last being killed in the 

 Chittagong district somewhere about the late 'eighties or 

 early 'nineties. The bison of these parts, the gayal or mithan, 

 first cousin to the gaur we have already had tussles with, 

 still exists in the hill tracts and, of course, further north and 

 east. But protection will be needed if this fine animal is to 

 be preserved in its wild state. It is true that, unlike the 

 gaur, it can be domesticated and will cross with the village 

 cattle. I have seen it very often in the villages throughout 

 the district. Buffalo used to exist in a wild state, but are 

 no longer to be found in the jungles of which I write although 

 their near relative the domestic animal possesses in these 

 parts many of the attributes of its wild confrere and is an 

 animal for the European to beware of. I do not know what 

 makes these so-called tame buffalo so vicious in Eastern 

 Bengal. They are often perfect devils so far as the sahib 

 is concerned. I had a small adventure with one of these 

 brutes once, being pursued by one, and have not for- 

 gotten it. It was only luck that enabled me to get clear. 

 I was returning to my boat moored in one of the tidal creeks, 

 after having inspected some small revenue station or other. 

 It was about three o'clock in the afternoon, and I was 

 trotting along the banked-up road running through the 

 rice fields. Suddenly I heard a dull, hollow sound of galloping 

 hoofs behind me. Turning in the saddle I saw about twenty 

 yards away a large buffalo in full cry. One glance at his 

 face was enough for me and I realized that the tales about 

 the " tame " buffalo of these parts were fully justified in 

 this instance. My pony must have realized the position 

 sooner than I did, for he had been pulling hard for several 

 minutes and I had wondered what on earth he was up to, 

 as we still had a good many miles to go. He was a sorry tat 

 at the best, a borrowed animal. I dug spurs into him now 

 and we scurried up the road at our best pace. Five 

 minutes passed and I realized that the buffalo was gaining 

 steadily on us. I became seriously alarmed and cast about 



