SPORT IN EASTERN BENGAL 101 



coast-line as I sat in the boat sailing or being pulled down 

 the coast at twenty yards or so distant. In the paddy fields 

 in the neighbourhood of the kals or creeks a large grey 

 heron was fairly common handsome birds but very wary. 

 Of duck I saw numbers in the cold weather, and occasionally 

 was able to get a shot either as a flight passed the boats 

 within range or when we ran into a lot settled upon the 

 surface in a creek or in one of the channels between the 

 mainland and the islands out in the Bay. These were 

 mallard, widgeon and teal of various kinds. That brilliant- 

 plumaged bird the brahminy duck (Casarca rutila), surely 

 one of the very wariest of the bird tribe, even including 

 wild geese, inhabits these areas. I did not see many of 

 these ducks in the Chittagong District but had great fun 

 stalking them off the neighbouring district of Noakhally 

 which I had occasion to visit once or twice. All who have 

 read Simson's Sport in Eastern Bengal will remember 

 this district as a famous pig-sticking centre in old days, 

 with some of the finest galloping ground, green turf like 

 velvet, I ever met in India. It had fallen on evil times at 

 the period I write of and there was no tent club. 



Rivers are numerous in this region, all flowing north and 

 south, such as the Kornafuli of which Chittagong forms the 

 port, and others flowing parallel to it between it and the 

 Kaladyne which flows out at Akyab, through the district of 

 Arakan ; this river forming the boundary between Bengal and 

 Burma. Proceeding up the rivers into the interior the 

 scenery changes completely. Once out of the low country 

 dense forests clothe either shore. The banks above tidal level 

 are fringed with high grass and plantains, giving place to 

 tangled cane thickets, bamboo clumps with a high overhead 

 cover of fine timber trees. Occasionally the scenery becomes 

 very bold and rugged, the broad river running between 

 steep gorgeous-coloured cliffs, their faces either sheer rock 

 or covered with a low scrub jungle, from which graceful 

 bamboos droop over the water. In the morning or at 

 sunset marvellously soft effects are produced by water and 

 sky, colouring which one can only see in the tropics. 



On the shore at daybreak or just before sunset, as one 

 drifted along in the boats, one had a chance of seeing some- 

 thing of the jungle occupants of the great forests. On the 

 upper reaches where the water is fresh deer would come down 

 to drink as would also family parties of monkeys, jungle fowl, 



