102 HUNTING WITH THE KARENS 



Ram suggested waiting for the friend; but by this 

 time I was bored about all I could hold without 

 explosion, and I demanded a start the next morn- 

 ing. So next day we moved on, headed for the 

 especial section where buffalo were said to be fairly 

 plentiful. And now in a few days more we came 

 to the real jungle, where it was impossible to take 

 the carts, which were sent along to a settlement 

 where we were to join them later. I took good 

 care to send off with the carts every last man that 

 could be spared, keeping with me only those 

 actually required as porters, and my Siamese hun- 

 ters, Thee, Nuam and Wan. 



I now entered upon two weeks of the hardest, 

 most persistent hunting I have ever done. The 

 jungle everywhere was of the same dense, matted, 

 thorn-filled character, but that was of slight con- 

 sequence if only buffalo materialized, as seemed 

 likely by the tracks. There was no doubt of the 

 game being here. 



The Indian buffalo (Bos buhalos) in its per- 

 fectly wild state appears to be restricted to India 

 and to up-country sections of the great Indian 

 peninsula, including that elevated section where 

 Burma and Siam join. So-called wild buffalo are 

 found in other parts of the Far East which are, 

 however, probably descendants of domesticated 

 individuals; for in the Philippines and on the 



