202 CAMP AT YERLSArIGA. 



and started to Poonjoor. Tlie road was very rough, often merely a track, 

 but I had a fiery Pegu pony and a liglit and not valuable dog-cart, so we 

 lost no time by the way. I saw large numbers of pea-fowl and jungle-fowl, 

 and a few jackals, but no large game. At Poonjoor I found my old sport- 

 ing companion, Bommay Gouda, awaiting me. I could have hugged the old 

 fellow ; how I envied him for living always in the jungles ! My tents were 

 ready pitched, and breakfast on the table, so it did not take long to make 

 a start in search of bison. Bommay Gouda could hold out no very bright 

 prosj)ects of sport, as he said there had been a deficiency of rain, and the 

 bison and bears were in the hills, where it was impossible to get at them 

 without a well-organised expedition. 



We walked about, up hill and down dale, for many hours without seeing 

 anything, and returned in the evening rather disheartened. During our 

 ramble we saw the prints of a stag sambur that had been pursued by a 

 tiger ; this had occurred some days before, after a night's rain. The tiger 

 had evidently faded in the chase. Every bound of both animals was twelve 

 or fifteen feet. There were numerous tracks of elephants, but they were 

 forbidden game. 



It was evidently useless remaining at Poonjoor, as game was scarce, so 

 by Bommay Gouda's advice I made arrangements to march next morning to 

 Yerlsariga, a Sholaga hamlet five miles along the foot of the hills. At 

 daybreak Bommay Gouda led the way to our new ground, through fine 

 forest, in which we crossed picturesque streams ; these, though shallow, were 

 clear and rapid, and formed frequent small cascades. My shooting-tent and 

 camp-equipments were carried by men, and I selected a spot to pitch my 

 habitation under a tree close to the Sholagas' huts. These dwellings are 

 very snug and neat : they are only about five feet high inside, and seven 

 feet in length and breadth ; the door is three feet high and two wide. 



The Sholagas turned out of a couple of houses for my servants, who 

 made themselves very comfortable. I may here mention that two years 

 after this time a tiger was shot in one of these two huts by Bommay 

 Gouda. The animal made its appearance near the village in the miildle 

 of the day, whereupon many of the Sholagas fled into their huts, the others 

 into the jungle near. The tiger showed no intention of molesting the 

 people, and composed liimself under a cart which two ]\Iussulm;ins had 

 driven to Yerlsariga to load with bamboos. As he seemed inclined to re- 

 main there for an indefinite time, one of the Sholagas ran to Poonjoor for 

 ]3ommay Gouda, wlio had an old matchlock. When Bommay Gouda arrived 

 lie took a deliberate shot at the tiger, but missed, and the animal betook 

 himself into one of the huts, which was open and untenanted. A Sholaga 



