98 Incidents of Foreign Field Sport. 



the tusks, and eventually got back to Mendoon four 

 days later than I had intended, but by going down 

 the Ma'ee in a Burmese boat, I eventually got back 

 to Prome only a day after I was due. 



On another occasion I was in the Yomahs. 

 During the night there was a great commotion. 

 I jumped out of bed, seized my rifle and rushed 

 out. The camp was astir, the natives running 

 towards where our elephants were picketed. I found 

 that a wild elephant had got amongst our tame ones, 

 and had maltreated -one of the females, but had been 

 driven off. I ordered fires to be lit, and told the 

 mahouts to be alert and call me if he returned. I 

 went back to my tent, for the air was chilly and the 

 mosquitoes troublesome. All through the night there 

 were disturbances, and I was aroused several times, 

 but could not get a shot. Now if a male elephant is 

 must, he very often seriously injures the females 

 that refuse his caresses. My beasts were far too 

 valuable to be permitted to be knocked about. As 

 my "jemadar " informed me that the intruder, a huge 

 mucknah, was not far off, directly I had finished my 

 chota hazarie, I proposed we should catch him ; but 

 as the head man, an old elephant trapper, said the 

 ground was not favourable and the beast was in the 

 worst stage of must, I determined he should die. 

 We had not far to go. He stood in a hollow, pulp- 

 ing and eating wild plantains. I could see the 

 rheum oozing down his face from the gland, which 

 exudes an offensive smelling oily substance when the 

 male elephant has sexual desires. The wind then was 

 not favourable and very faint, although it generally 

 blows half a gale during the night. Followed by 



