HINTS TO BEGINNERS 



this point in the case of hill shooting than in that 

 of the low-country forests, since, in the former, 

 carriage of soda-water is out of the question, while 

 in the latter plenty of this refreshing beverage 

 should always be carried, and no jungle water be 

 ever drunk unless it has been boiled in making tea 

 or coffee. Native servants are in the highest 

 degree careless and untrustworthy ; they cannot be 

 relied upon to boil water before filtering it, and they 

 are very apt to filter it only, both because this gives 

 them little trouble, and also on account of their 

 master being able to tell from its appearance 

 whether it has been filtered or no, whereas he 

 cannot possibly tell whether it has, or has not, 

 been boiled. The recent theory is that carbonic 

 acid gas in solution destroys all germs within 

 fourteen days. 



The early showers in April and May cause the 

 rapid springing of new grass after the burning of 

 the old growth in the hot weather, and these 

 months are excellent for hill shooting, provided 

 only that the locality where the camp be pitched is 

 above fever level ; if below it, this period is very 

 dangerous, on account of malaria. Once the big 

 monsoon has burst generally early in June the 

 sportsman will be glad to hurry away, for the heavy 

 rain in a cold atmosphere renders camping out quite 

 impossible. After the cessation of the rains, the 

 cold weather appears to be a healthy time in the 

 Travancore hills, but the great disadvantage then 

 is the height of the grass in most parts of the bison 

 ground. 



71 



