JAUNTS IN THE JUNGLE. 113 



CHAPTER IX. 



DISAGREE ABILITIES INCIDENTAL TO JUNGLE EXISTENCE. 



To give an unprejudiced opinion of which was the 

 most dangerous animal to fall in with in the jungle I 

 should decidedly say it was the buffalo. 



These brutes are very plentiful in all parts of the 

 island, hut particularly so in the neighbourhood of 

 Trincomalee, where shooting parties are sometimes 

 got up for their destruction. 



They are found lying in pools of stagnant water, 

 with only their nostrils above the surface, or standing 

 in the skirts of the jungle, and they do not always 

 wait to be attacked before they commence hostile 

 operations. 



One person would have little chance against two or 

 three buffaloes combined against him, as they offer no 

 opportunity of getting a shot at them in their charge. 



Springing out of the water as soon as they are 

 aware of the vicinity of an enemy, they pick out the 

 nearest stranger, and poking their noses straight for- 



