ON THE KAMBUKENAAR RIVER. 169 



behind, hurling V far away, and nearly breaking 



all his ribs. Abscess of the liver supervened on the 

 blow, as it often does. He was, however, successfully 

 operated on, and returned to Ireland to recruit. It 

 was at the end of his leave I saw him last, quite 

 restored to health. Not long after he shot a buffalo, 

 which in falling pinned him dow T n by its weight. 

 Before he could extricate himself, the herd, either 

 charging or in mad flight, dashed past, and one of the 

 great hooves struck him again in the fatal spot. Again 

 abscess supervened, and this time death followed, and 

 the Ceylon elephants lost their deadliest foe. 



Will had been acting as Government Agent for 

 some months at Hambantota, a most uninteresting 

 spot on the east coast, where he was the only 

 white man. The little settlement is, however, of 

 great interest to the sportsman as it practically marks 

 the extreme limit of civilisation in this direction, and 

 the strip between it and the adjoining station of 

 Batticaloa was then the very best big-game country 

 in the island. Therefore when Will wrote to me 

 and informed me that his relief had sailed from 

 England, and asked if I were game for a month up 

 the coast, I was delighted to reply in the affirmative. 



Not much more than a month later I embarked 

 on the Colonial Government steamer in company 

 with Will's relief. The day after we left Colombo 

 we were at Galle, and thence we reached Hambantota 

 by daylight the following day. I was soon ashore, 

 for my tents and share of stores had come by road, 

 and also gone on. I had, however, with me the 



