292 WILD SPORTS OF BURMA AND ASSAM 



space of a few seconds be converted into a mass of unrecog- 

 nizable pulp. I remember once asking a famous old Burman 

 hunter in Webaung, Momeik State, Ruby Mines, named 

 Moung Aung Gyi, how he had come by certain weals and 

 scars across his thighs and legs. He said, " Ah, yes, sir, these 

 were connected with circumstances which I bring to memory 

 even now with a shudder ; it was a very narrow escape I had 

 from a large solitary tusker elephant, which I, together with 

 two or three other hunters, had succeeded in wounding 

 severely. I was young and active then and a good shot, 

 although only armed with a flint-lock. The elephant, which 

 had a magnificent pair of tusks and was badly wounded, had 

 taken up a position in a fairly open tree forest, with a thick 

 undergrowth of thorny wait-a-bit bush through which, naked 

 as we usually are from the feet to the hips, it was rather 

 painful to travel at any great pace." (I may here mention 

 that Burmans when shooting elephants often use a short, 

 strong, pointed iron spear, about two feet in length, which is 

 inserted into the muzzle of the gun till the end rests on the 

 wad over the powder, the barb only showing over the muzzle. 

 This is a very effective powerful missile when fired as is 

 usually done at a range of from 10 to 12 yards into or 

 behind an elephant's shoulder. The poor beast, although often 

 not touched in a vital spot, is very soon brought to a stand- 

 still, as it cannot travel through the forest without suffering 

 great pain owing to the butt of the spear, which, protruding 

 several inches from his body, comes in contact with every 

 branch and bush which the animal brushes against. Many 

 elephants in Burma have been slaughtered in this manner by 

 Burmans ; others again, I regret to say, have escaped with these 

 fearful iron shafts buried in their bodies only to die lingering 

 deaths, or should the wound not be very severe, to be a source 

 of danger to other sportsmen and villagers who come across 

 them.) 



" As it was getting late, and thinking that the elephant was 

 unable to charge, I made my way up cautiously to within a 

 few feet of him and, aiming for the temple, fired. The shot 

 did not reach the brain, and with a shrill, short, sharp scream, 

 he wheeled round and bore straight down on me like a * mi- 



