HUNTING IN INDIA. 225 



which so astonished the hounds that they stopped. 

 The master was first up and cheered them on, but the 

 hounds unfortunately came towards him. Meanwhile 

 the jackal slipped away, and they could never get on 

 terms with him again. 



After this bag jackals were tried, but would not 

 run, and finally the pack descended to a drag. At the 

 beginning of the hot weather they were sold, and it 

 was decided to replace them with harriers after the 

 next rains. 



I have already said that during this time I was 

 absent from Colombo. The reason was that I was for 

 a year in the old capital of Ceylon, Kandy. The 

 climate of Kandy is more favourable to hounds, but 

 the country is very hilly, and much of it is covered with 

 close jungle. The jungle contains pig and porcupine, 

 both of which are very dangerous to hounds. 



When I arrived there I found there was a scratch 

 pack of beagles already in existence. The modus 

 operandi was as follows : The hounds were trencher- 

 fed, one or two being kept at each sportsman's 

 bungalow. On the days fixed for hunting, the 

 sportsmen arrived at the meet, each with his hound 

 or hounds, and his gim. The hounds were then 

 thrown into cover, and the sportsmen took post in 

 various places. If a hare or red deer the muntjac 

 or jungle sheep of India was seen, it was promptly 

 shot. The effect of these proceedings was that the 

 hounds were essentially self-hunting, and sometimes 

 one sportsman, sometimes another, carried the horn. 

 The hunting days varied, but I regret to say Sunday 



