A Monampitya Rogue. 105 



tent was pitched within a mile of the place, and he 

 accordingly brought me the intelligence. 



Upon arrival at the pool I found the elephant so deep 

 in the mud that he could barely move. His hind quar- 

 ters were toward me ; and the pool not being more than 

 thirty yards in diameter and surrounded by impene- 

 trable rattan jungle on all sides but one small opening, 

 in which I stood, I was obliged to clap my hands to 

 attract his attention. This had the desired effect; he 

 turned slowly round, and I shot him immediately. This 

 was one of the Monampitya tank rogues, but in his 

 muddy position he had no chance. 



The largest elephant that I have ever seen was in 

 this neighborhood. I had arrived one afternoon at 

 about five o'clock in a fine plain, about twelve miles 

 from Monampitya, where the presence of a beautiful 

 lake and high grass promised an abundance of game. 

 It was a most secluded spot, and my tent and coolies 

 being well up with my horse, I fixed upon a shady 

 nook for the tent, and I strolled out to look for the tracks 

 while it was being pitched. 



A long promontory stretched some hundred yards 

 into the lake, exactly opposite the spot I had fixed upon 

 for the encampment, and, knowing that elephants when 

 bathing generally land upon the nearest shore, I walked 

 out toward the point of this projecting neck of land. 



The weather was very dry, and the ground was a 

 mass of little pitfalls, about two feet deep, which had 

 been made by the feet of the elephants in the wet 

 weather, when this spot was soft mud and evidently 

 the favorite resort of the heavy game. The ground 

 was now baked by the sun as hard as though it were 

 frozen, and the numerous deep ruts made walking very 



