330 WILD SPORTS OF BURMA AND ASSAM 



tusker, and, indeed, it was soon patent to every one, as he had 

 left marks of his tusks in the steep clayey side of a river bank 

 where he had been eating the earth, which, being impregnated 

 with a certain amount of soda or salt, is eagerly partaken of 

 by all ruminating animals. There are a great many of these 

 salt-licks and tepid brackish streams (yenganbauk and myen- 

 gan) scattered over both Upper and Lower Burma, and 

 animals such as elephants, rhino, gaur, tsine, buffaloes, and 

 deer frequent them periodically, and often travel great dis- 

 tances to indulge their craving for salt. Burman hunters 

 often sit over these pools or licks and pot "the game from 

 trees. 



Well, to return to our tusker, I first came on the animal's 

 tracks on Thursday afternoon, December 31, 1896, and took 

 them on for some five or six miles over very hilly country par- 

 tially covered by open tree and bamboo forest, with occasional 

 patches of old " tounyas " or deserted cultivation, which had 

 grown up into a perfect jungle, and through which at times it 

 was very hard work to make one's way. We did not succeed 

 in coming up with the animal that day, as he winded us and 

 made off while we were 100 yards off, so we returned to camp, 

 fully intending to try for him again next day. 



" Chota hazri " at dawn next morning, and then taking a 

 hamper containing breakfast we started on the trail, deter- 

 mined to come up with the animal before dark. The usual 

 slow, steady, wearisome trudge then ensued for several hours, 

 the monotony being occasionally broken when a difficulty 

 occurred in tracking, or when some startled sambur or bark- 

 ing deer roused from his morning slumber fled, uttering a 

 loud bell or bark as the case might be. Occasionally a 

 porcupine or solitary boar would cross our path in front, as if 

 aware that I could not shoot without alarming the nobler 

 quarry whose tusks I was bent on having. Occasionally a 

 question would be put by me to my trackers, such as, " How- 

 ki-la, thee-chi-ya-hman-the-la ? " (Is that so are these the 

 correct tracks?) " Gane-chi-ya be-daw twe-mi is tin-the-la?" 

 (When do you think we shall come upon to-day's tracks ?) 



After covering some ten or twelve miles of country in this 

 fashion, steadily on over hill and dale, we at last came on 



