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EXPEDITION INTO [Chap. XXIV. 



CHAPTER XXIV. 



ELEPHANT HUNTING CONTINUED; AND LION 

 SHOOTING FROM THE WAGGONS. 



It was still raining heavily when the day gloomily 

 dawned. The mountain torrents having overflown 

 their banks, the valley in which we were encamped 

 had become a continuous pool of water ; and those 

 of our followers who had not slung their hammocks 

 beneath the waggons, were partially submerged. 

 High roads had been ploughed through the mire by 

 the passage of the elephants, and whole acres of 

 grass, by which we were surrounded the preceding 

 evening, had been completely trampled down. Soon 

 after sunrise it cleared up, and the cattle having 

 been recovered, we armed a party with hatchets, 

 and proceeded on foot to cut out the teeth of the 

 slain elephants ; but walking was exceedingly toil- 

 some, and our feet sinking to the ankles in black 

 mud, were extricated with inconceivable difficulty. 

 Taking advantage of our situation, an irritated rhi- 

 noceros sallied from behind an old stone wall ; and 

 the damp causing three of the gims to miss fire, he 

 was actually amongst us when my ball fortunately 

 pierced his eye, and he fell dead at our feet. 



Not an elephant was to be seen on the ground 

 that was yesterday teeming with them ; but on 



