134 WILD SPORTS OF BURMA AND ASSAM 



JUNGLE TRIPS ON ELEPHANTS, LOWER BURMA 



Early in May 1860 I asked our Brigadier, Glencairn 

 Campbell, C.B., brother of the old Forest Ranger and cousin to 

 that great Nimrod, Gordon Gumming, if he would like a few 

 days' sport in Burma. He had seen much fighting, especially 

 at the Cape against the Kaffirs, and had also been a noted 

 sportsman and athlete. He was still well preserved, and a 

 capital shot. He gladly consented, and as Lloyd also a keen 

 * sportsman, who had lately come up as Deputy Commissioner 

 wanted to go too, we agreed to go together, and asked 

 Liardet of the 2nd N. I. to accompany us. 



The Brigadier, Lloyd, and Liardet started on the 2nd, but 

 I could not get away until the 4th, but I got into my loung or 

 racing boat, and reached Banlong by 8 p.m. The others had 

 finished their dinner, and whilst I was partaking of mine, Lloyd 

 told the result of their sport. On the 3rd they had tried 

 stalking thamine, but got none. On the 4th, at Shoayjah's 

 instigation, they got on to the elephants on pads there were 

 no howdahs in Burma in those days and went through several 

 savannahs, where the grass was only about four feet high, and 

 saw much game ; but none of them had been accustomed to 

 shoot off elephant-back ; on a pad you can only fire comfort- 

 ably and with any chance of success to the left front, and as a 

 rule the deer are seldom obliging, but will insist on going off 

 to the right. They had fired a great many shots ; but the 

 Brigadier had shot a stag sapt (sambur), Liardet a buck and a 

 doe sambur, and Lloyd a hog deer, d'ala'el of the Burmese, 

 but he lost three sambur badly wounded. 



On the 5th the Brigadier did not feel well, so Lloyd, Liardet, 

 and I went alone. 



Banlong is on the river ; on three sides are extensive paddy 

 fields ; beyond them, forests, and beyond again are quins, or 

 open spaces, formerly cultivated but left fallow for many years 

 past ; these are covered with short grass, a few trees, and 

 occasionally a little pool of water. In the quins are herds 

 of brow-antlered deer, hog deer, and hogs ; in the outlying 



