ON THE WEST COAST OF CEYLON. 93 



a European to get into the cart, so that we had to 

 make a swap with those in the other vehicle. After 

 we had had some breakfast we started off up this 

 river with our guns, and shot some teal, snipe, and 

 hares. 



Dinner being over, our beds were laid in the cart, 

 and the bullocks moved off at their usual pace (about 

 two miles an hour), while we smoked till we were 

 sleepy and then dropped off. We awoke to find 

 daylight breaking over the camp, which was pitched 

 among some fairly open ground, broken with clumps 

 of jungle. We took our rifles and moved off in 

 opposite directions. I was out some hours, but only 

 saw three does just as I was giving it up. Meat 

 was wanted in camp, so after a fairly easy stalk I 

 shot one, and, marking the place, returned to camp 

 to send for it. Will was in before me, having seen 

 no quadrupeds, and only bagged a young peacock. 

 This was a welcome addition to our table, but the 

 Express bullet had made rather a mess of it. Pea- 

 fowl have a habit of sitting sunning themselves on 

 stumps and dead trees in the early morning, and often 

 afford pretty shots for the rifle, but a rook rifle should 

 be used. This is almost the only way one can get 

 a shot at them in Ceylon, where they are very shy. 

 In India, of course, being sacred, they are tame 

 enough. I have often thought when, in beating hill- 

 sides there for big game, the peafowl came sailing 

 over my head, what glorious " rocketers " they would 

 make if they would only fly a bit higher. From 

 consideration for the feelings of the natives, and also 



