398 WILD SPORTS OF BURMA AND ASSAM 



The water was not very inviting to look at, being full of green, 

 mossy-looking vegetable matter, decayed leaves and branches; 

 it was nevertheless quite palatable. 



A sportsman in Burma must not be too fastidious with 

 regard to the water he drinks. I have often been only too 

 glad to go down on my hands and knees and drink deep 

 draughts of water at the first pool I came to without looking 

 at its colour. Of course, I always make a point of sniffing at 

 it, and if too malodorous or tasty, never drank it. The nose 

 is a very good guide in these matters. I believe the drinking 

 of water does one less harm in India than most people 

 imagine, and I am quite sure that more men in the East 

 suffer from over-doses of whisky than from the evil effects of 

 drinking water. 



But to return to our tsine. We had been seated for about 

 half-an-hour, when the noise of animals galloping at a great 

 pace in our direction became apparent. Moung Hpe immedi- 

 ately jumped to his feet, and said, " Thakin, tsine yd thouk- 

 po-la-byi " (Sir, tsine are coming to drink water). On second 

 thoughts, however, he said, " Ma hopu thakin, tsine ye" thauk 

 po la-bo-kyan-de-chunok-do kyi-ya-mya-ah-hnan-ya-thwa- 

 byi yaku pyi ne de" (No, sir, the tsine were on their way to 

 drink, but they scented our tracks and are now making off). 



From the direction in which the galloping sounded, I con- 

 cluded that the animals were heading in our direction, so, 

 leaving my men at the pool and loading up the 8-bore, I 

 walked out towards the point at which I expected the tsine 

 to put in an appearance. I had not long to wait before some 

 three or four bulls galloped past me at a great pace. A small 

 patch of low kaing grass and some stunted shrubs partially 

 hid them from my view as they charged past my position 

 some 30 yards off, and though an occasional glimpse of 

 them could be obtained, yet it was insufficient to allow of my 

 shooting with any chance of putting a bullet in the right 

 place, or even hitting an animal at all. I noticed besides, 

 after they had passed me, that they were slackening their 

 speed and intending pulling up close by. 



I now began to stalk them, and had not gone 150 yards 

 before I caught sight of three of the animals standing on the 



