Ii6 The Rifle and Hound in Ceylon. 



will soon show their real character. Heavy rifles then 

 make a good sport of what would otherwise be a chance 

 often to one against the man. It must be remembered 

 that the attack is generally upon an extensive plain, 

 without a single sheltering tree ; escape by speed is 

 therefore impossible, and even a horse must be a good 

 one or a buffalo will catch him. 



Without wading through the many scenes of carnage 

 that I have witnessed in this branch of sport, I will sum 

 up the account of buffalo-shooting by a description of 

 one day's work at Minneria. 



The tent was pitched in a secluded spot beneath some 

 shady trees, through which no ray of sun could pene- 

 trate ; the open forest surrounded it on all sides, but 

 through the vistas of dark stems the beautiful green 

 plain and glassy lake could be seen stretching into an 

 undefined distance. The blue hills, apparently spring- 

 ing from the bosom of the lake, lined the horizon, and 

 the shadowy forms of the Kandian mountains mingled 

 indistinctly with the distant clouds. From this spot, 

 with a good telescope, I could watch the greater part of 

 the plain, which was at this time enlivened by the nu- 

 merous herds of wild buffaloes scattered over the sur- 

 face. A large bull was standing alone about half a mile 

 from the tent, and I thought him a fine beast to begin 

 with. 



I started with two well-known and trusty gun-bearers. 

 This bull apparently did not wish to fight, and when 

 at nearly four hundred yards distance he turned and 

 galloped off'. I put up all the sights of the long two- 

 ounce rifle, and for an instant he dropped to the shot at 

 this distance, but recovering immediately he turned 

 round, and, although upon only three legs, he charged to- 



