252 The Rijle and Hound in Ceylon. 



bagged, with the exception of a young elk that I had 

 shot on horseback during the ride from Dambool. We 

 had plenty of snipe, and, what with fish, wildfowl and 

 venison, our breakfast began to assume an inviting 

 character. After breakfast we shot a few couple of 

 snipe upon the plain, and in the evening we formed 

 two parties — Palliser and V. Baker and Wortley and 

 myself — and taking different directions, we scoured the 

 country, agreeing to meet at the tent at dusk. 



\Y. and I saw nothing beyond the fresh tracks of 

 game which evidently came out only at night. We 

 wandered about till evening, and then returned toward 

 the tent. On the way there I tried a long shot at a 

 heron with a rifle ; he was standing at about a hundred 

 and fifty yards from us, and by great good luck I killed 

 him. 



On arrival at the tent we found P. and V. B., who 

 had returned. They had been more fortunate in their 

 line of country, having found two rogue elephants — one 

 in thick jungle, which V. B. fired at and missed ; and 

 shortly after this shot, they found another rogue on the 

 plain not far from the tent. The sun was nearly set- 

 ting, and shone well in the elephant's eyes ; thus they 

 were able to creep pretty close to him without being 

 observed, and P. killed him by a good shot with a rifle, 

 at about twenty-five yards. In my opinion, this was 

 the same elephant that had been seen near the tent 

 early in the morning. 



Wallace, with the Rhatamahatmeya and the trackers, 

 had arrived, and we resolved to start for Cowclelle" at 

 daybreak on the following morning. 



Nov. 21. — Having made our preparations over night 

 for an early start, we were off at daybreak, carrying 



