WE COME UPON AN ELEPHANT, 513 



I could see the forehead of my game. All set up a 

 loud, prolonged yell, and the beast slowly retreated, 

 and allowed us to proceed unmolested. The natives 

 are not afi-aid of whole herds of elephants, but they 

 dislike to come near a sino-le one. The laro;er and 

 stronger males sometimes drive off all their weaker 

 rivals, which are apt to wreak their vengeance on 

 any one they chance to meet. Beyond this was a 

 more open country, and in the road were scattered 

 many small trees that had been torn up by a herd, 

 apparently this very morning. 



Although they are so abundant here in Siunatra, 

 there are none found in Java. They occur in large 

 numbers on the Malay Peninsula, and there is good 

 reason to suppose they exist in the wild state in the 

 northern parts of Borneo. This is regarded as dis- 

 tinct fi'om the Asiatic and African species, and has 

 been named ElepJias SumaPi^ensis. 



Three paals before we came to Bunga Mas, a 

 heavy rain set in and continued until we reached 

 that place. Our road crossed a number of streams 

 that had their sources on the flanks of the moun- 

 tains on our right, and in a short time their torrents 

 wei-e so swollen that my horse could scarcely ford 

 them. Bunga Mas is a dusun, or village, on a cliff 

 by a small river which flows toward the north. Near 

 the village is a stockade fort, where we arrived 

 at half past six. The captain gave me comfortaide 

 quarters, and I was truly thankful to escape the 

 stomi and the tigers without, and to rest after more 

 than twelve hours in the saddle. 



This evening the captain has shown me the skin 



33 



