JAUNTS IN THE JUNGLE. 89 



fellow, whose society, like his of whom I write, is lost 

 in death for ever ! 



On such occasions as Rogers would go on an ele- 

 phant hunting expedition alone, he would merely 

 mount his horse and gallop off into the jungle, leav- 

 ing directions for his two servants (one a Cingalese 

 and the other a Malay) to follow him to a fixed des- 

 tination with his four guns ; but it more generally 

 happened that some "head man" of the district 

 had arrived with the tidings of the propinquity of 

 the elephants, and on such occasions the habitation of 

 the Nigger would be arranged in his best style for 

 the reception of his guest ; this adornment usually 

 consisting, as I before mentioned, in hanging the sides 

 of a room with white drapery, so that a man was 

 always " between the sheets" day and night. 



I shall never forget Rogers returning home one 

 evening from the " Park" to his quarters accom- 

 panied by every substantial trophy, in the shape of six 

 young elephants as prisoners of war, the smallest 

 about two feet in height, and the largest about four. 

 These he occasionally allowed to have a run, when 

 the young rascals would invariably toddle off to the 

 old fruitwomen in the market, and a pretty havoc soon 

 ensued amongst the plantains, oranges, and betel-nut. 



They would go round levying black-mail; and woe 

 betide the unfortunate vendor that did not suffer him 

 or herself to be victimised to the heart's content of 

 the depredator ! 



