INTRODUCTORY 



WITH the expeditionary force that helped to conquer 

 Pegu and Martaban were many noted shikaries, but they 

 found such a difference existing between the Land of Pagodas 

 and India, that they despaired of finding game, if any game 

 did exist, which was denied by many. Not knowing the 

 language was one cause ; the endless savannahs covered with 

 elephant grass from 10 to 30 feet high, the want of such 

 shikaries as they had been accustomed to, the difficulty of 

 procuring elephants, and, when obtained, not knowing where 

 to seek game, were other causes. Dr. Wilson, once out with 

 me, shot a sambur, but otherwise was unsuccessful ; so 

 was Speke, brother of the explorer. So was Grant Allan, as 

 good a sportsman and as capable an officer as India ever 

 produced. He had been over Burma more than any man in 

 Pegu, and in all his wanderings all he had seen were two or 

 three sambur. Both Wilson and Speke wrote to the Oriental 

 Sporting Magazine in, I think, 185 5, deploring the want of game 

 in Lower Burma. I, though but a youngster, and not within 

 measurable distance of those named as a sportsman, yet 

 from the commencement of my service in Lower Burma in 

 July 1853 I had district work to attend to. I kept my eyes 

 open ; I treated the people well, and on the few occasions 

 when I was lucky enough to slay a stray sambur, a thamine, 

 or a hog deer, I kept very little of the meat to myself, and 

 gave the rest to the Burmans who were with me exploring for 

 the best routes for roads. I had seen a little game, but from 

 conversing with men and women in the remoter jungles I 

 became convinced that not only did big game exist, but that 

 it was plentiful, so replied, under the name of " Phoongie," 



