ELEPHANTS 



than forward of the actual orifice. This same class of shot 

 can also be taken if, instead of being immediately at right 

 angles to the head, you are at a point about a right 

 angle to his tail and, say, about 10 or 15 yards dis-r 

 tant from him. You then aim into the hollow behind 

 the ear, taking care not to hit the huge knob of the lower 

 jaw-bone " hinge." 



Except as stoppers, however, the day of big bores is 

 over. The penetration of the modern high-velocity small 

 bore is so terrific that, with solid nickel-coated bullets, a 

 .303 military rifle can send a ball right through an elephant's 

 head from almost any position, so that you can calculate on 

 reaching the brain, if your aim is correct, no matter from 

 what point you take your shot. The big bore, whatever 

 its size or charge of powder, cannot do this except from 

 very close quarters. 



The following experience, also with the 8 -bore, shows 

 again how easily a " moral certainty " can be missed, and 

 also shows how equally easily it can kill when properly held 

 it is all a question of hitting that little brain pan. 



In 1894 I got the chance of a shot at no less than four 

 condemned " rogues," or at least elephants which were 

 committing damage, in Tamankaduwa, one of which had 

 certainly killed a man. I made this journey with pack- 

 bulls by the tavalam track from Kaikawela on the Matale- 

 Rattota road, via Ambane and Elahera, and thence through 

 the forest to Topawewa. From the last place I proceeded 

 to Magamtota, crossed the " ganga," and went to Manam- 

 pitiya, a Tamil village, in the vicinity of which " rogue 

 No. i " was said to be. 



Here I was met by Kanavathie of Muttugala, a 

 renowned elephant nooser, with whom, and one Kanappan 

 of Manampitiya, I set off to look for the " rogue." We 



101 



