DIMENSIONS OF A GAUR 381 



now joined me, and we retired to a respectful distance. In 

 a minute or so the gaur began to quiver all over, and in a 

 short time the death throes set in, when every muscle and 

 sinew became rigid and showed up distinctly. After a few 

 tremendous struggles and a loud long-drawn bellow its last 

 effort, which resounded over the hills its limbs became lax 

 and it was dead. 



He was a magnificent animal, standing 20 hands at the 

 shoulder, and 12 feet 3 inches in length, including tail 

 measurement. His horns measured as follows : 



Length of right horn along the curve, 34 inches. 



Length of left horn along the curve, 33 J inches. 



Girth at base of horn, 2oJ inches. 



Tip to tip, 21 inches. 



Greatest width outside, 42^ inches. 



Tip to tip along curve and over forehead, 81 inches. 



After disembowelling the animal and cutting off the head, 

 which was slung up into the branches of a tree to be sent for 

 next day, we turned our faces homewards. 



To reach camp, Chaung-gyi outpost, situated some twenty- 

 five miles off, on a stream of the same name, we were obliged 

 to walk down-stream the whole distance, as not only was it 

 late, but the woods along the river bank were too densely 

 wooded to enable us to make our way through them after dark 

 in a locality which was also not very well known to my men. 



It was a weary tramp after what we had already gone through, 

 and what with carrying my heavy i8-lbs. rifle and bag of 

 cartridges, it was no joke. My men were also laden with strips 

 of bison meat and other articles, including myi2-bore rifle. 



We reached our destination at 3 a.m. next morning, and I 

 turned in, after a warm tub, to rise about 3 p.m. feeling none 

 the worse. I should have felt very differently, however, had 

 I not bagged the gaur. A successful day invariably drives 

 away aches, pains, and any weariness that may wish to 

 overcome the sportsman. 



We passed numerous traces of elephant, gaur, tiger, leopard 

 and bear. All the country in the neighbourhood between 

 Manday and the Ruby Mines is simply teeming with big game 

 of all kinds, especially between Singu and Shw^nyaungbin. 



