HUNTING LEOPARDS, BUFFALOES 75 



Burpetta and Hazoo had swamps and cane-brakes in their 

 centres, where two or more panthers always lurked. Mac- 

 kenzie and Campbell shot a good many at Burpetta, which 

 was their head-quarters. I also shot one there, and two at 

 Hazoo. My colleague has slain several in the Ruby Mines 

 district. , Cooksley killed a lot in Assam, and I shot a few, 

 but not many. I killed many more in India, but this relates 

 to wild sport of the countries east of the Bay of Bengal only ; 

 so beyond a casual mention of what game exists there, which 

 is also found in Assam and Burma, we do not treat of them. 



The Chita, or hunting leopard, is not found in these damp 

 moist countries subject to a heavy rainfall, nor the hyaena ; 

 the jackal only in Assam and parts of Upper Burma it does 

 not penetrate into Pegu. One or two were killed near 

 Meaday, and I was one of the first to assert its existence, as I 

 had heard its cry, but had not seen it ; but D'Oyly did come 

 across one or two ; and Boswell of the Artillery shot one, and 

 sent its skin to Colonel Phayre. 



BUFFALOES 



I look upon this animal in its wild state as, if not the most 

 dangerous, certainly one of the most formidable of the feres 

 naturce. Not only are they savage, but they are treacherous 

 and most difficult to kill. Solitaries are invariably morose. 

 He will lie in wait in a dense patch of grass and attack any- 

 thing that comes in his way. He is, if anything, worse than 

 a rogue elephant. There are seldom any buffalo bulls kept 

 in Burma or Assam, but the people trust to the wild ones to 

 keep up the breed. There is therefore but little difference, if 

 any, in size and ferocity between the so-called tame cattle 

 and the feral. 



Even the tame cow buffalo, that will allow itself to be 

 driven about and thrashed by a little native urchin, will go 

 for a European. I have frequently been chased when out 

 snipe-shooting, and poor D'Oyly once meeting a cow that 

 seemed inclined to prove aggressive, in a narrow lane, rode at 

 her on his pony; she met them half-way and tossed them, 

 and killed the pony, but D'Oyly escaped with a shaking. 



