216 Leaves from an Indian Jungle. 



and, gliding nearer, note our modest table and chairs set 

 on some cunningly chosen eminence rising from the smooth 

 yellow sand of a water-lapped shore. 



It had cost us many an arduous march to penetrate to 

 those to Europeans 'almost virgin jungles ; long days in 

 blistering Central Province heat ; and struggles across 

 country devoid of any but the wildest tracks, where 

 baggage carts had to be lifted over immovable trunks of 

 fallen forest giants, or a way cleared in the thick green 

 undergrowth. And at last here we were, nearly two 

 hundred miles from the nearest railway, in the very midst 

 of the country described in the faded yellow pages of the 

 diaries kept by him who had explored these solitudes 

 nearly forty years ago. 



To give an idea of the height to which our hopes had 

 risen before we found what havoc a few years of native 

 guns had wrought, I cannot do better than give a few 

 extracts from his records : 



" April 13^, 1868. Went to the pond beyond the river, 

 and sat down in the open to await dawn. Four bufts, one 

 I think a bull, came up, drank, and walked off. Too dusk to 

 see. When it became light enough I went on their tracks 

 and came on eight buffs. Tried to circumvent them, but 

 they took a different route to that I had expected. Got on 

 their tracks again, and unfortunately when in very thick 

 jungle one of the cows spied us, and off they went ! Follow- 

 ed on in the direction they had taken. Saw some gaona, or 

 red deer. Going up the side of a small hill I threw two 

 men on opposite sides of a ravine in case of bears. 



" On reaching the top found high grass all about, and 

 was looking about when up sprang a fine bull bison and 

 dashed off. I had a snap shot and fired too high ; but as 

 I fired he threw up his head and gave a moan. I followed 



