CHAPTER III. 



Minneria Lake — Brush with a Bull — An Awkward Vis- 

 a-vis — A Bright Thought — Bull Buffalo Receives his 

 Small Change — What is Man ? — Long Shot with the 

 Four-ounce — Charged by a Herd of Buffaloes — the 

 Four-ounce does Service — The "Lola" — A Woman 

 Killed by a Crocodile — Crocodile at Bolgodde Lake 

 — A Monster Crocodile — Death of a Crocodile. 



THE foregoing description may serve as an intro- 

 duction to the hill-sports of Ceylon. One animal, 

 however, yet remains to be described, who surpasses all 

 others in dogged ferocity when once aroused. This is 

 the " buffalo." 



The haunts of this animal are in the hottest parts of 

 Ceylon. In the neighborhood of lakes, swamps and 

 extensive plains the buffalo exists in large herds ; wal- 

 lowing in the soft mire, and passing two-thirds of his 

 time in the water itself, he may be almost termed 

 amphibious- 

 He is about the size of a large ox, of immense bone 

 and strength, very active, and his hide is almost free 

 from hair, giving a disgusting appearance to his India- 

 rubber-like skin. He carries his head in a peculiar 

 manner, the horns thrown back, and his nose projecting 

 on a level with his forehead, thus securing himself from 

 a front shot in a fatal part. This renders him a dan- 



42 



