A Jungle Trip. 287 



At length the volley ceased, and two were seen — one 

 dead on the top of the bank, and the other still strug- 

 gling in the shallow water at the foot of the bank. 

 Once more a general battery opened and he was extin- 

 guished. Five were killed, and if noise and smoke 

 add to the fun, there was certainly plenty of it, Wort- 

 lev and my man Wallace now swam across the river 

 and cut off the elephants' tails. 



We returned to the horses, and moved to the " Cave," 

 meeting with no further incidents that day. 



Dec. 4. — We saw nothing but deer the whole of the 

 day, and they were so wild that we could not get a shot. 

 It was therefore a blank. 



Dec. 5. — We started early, and for five miles we 

 tracked a large herd of elephants through fine open 

 country, until we were at length stopped by impene- 

 trable jungle of immense extent, forming the confines 

 of the " Park " on this side. We therefore reluctantly 

 left the tracks, and directed our course toward Pattapa- 

 laar, about twelve miles distant. 



We had passed over a lovely country, and were with- 

 in a mile of our proposed resting-place, when Banda, 

 who happened to be a hundred yards in advance, came 

 quickly back, saying that he saw a rogue elephant feed- 

 ing on the patina not far from us. Wortley had gone 

 in another direction with old Medima a few minutes 

 previous to look for a deer ; and Palliser and I resolved 

 to stalk him carefully. We therefore left all the people 

 behind, except two gun-bearers, each of whom carried 

 one of my double-barreled rifles. I carried my four- 

 ounce, and Palliser took the two-ounce. 



It was most difficult ground for stalking, being en 

 tirely open, on a spot which had been high lemon grass, 



