FJSHING IN THE MANASS, MINA MATTER 457 



On the 26th we encamped at Mina Mattee, and sent for 

 Sookur; but he was absent with some elephant-catchers. 

 Without him it was useless looking for big game, but as I 

 had to measure certain cubes of limestone, we took things 

 for a three days' trip and went for the Manass in Bagh Dooar. 

 It is a long march, but the country is very pretty and full 

 of game ; we must have seen a thousand marsh deer to-day, 

 but all either does or brockets. We only shot enough to 

 keep the camp supplied with meat. Near where the Manass 

 emerges from the hills the country is beautiful. In the after- 

 noon I tried fishing ; I had bought some second-hand tackle 

 from a Deputy Commissioner, but no care had been taken of 

 it, and it was more or less rotten. As there were no boats I 

 went to the extremity of a rock that jutted out into the river, 

 threw out a spoon-bait, and began to drag it towards me ; 

 a large fish at once took it, but the line broke in two and 

 away it went with one out of the only two spoons I had with 

 me, and some 30 yards of line. I again baited my line and 

 soon had on another fish, and succeeded in landing it after 

 about twenty minutes' play. It was a fine mahseer, 7 Ibs. in 

 weight. As it was getting dark, I would not tempt fortune 

 any more, but went back with my fish to the hut. We had 

 a portion curried and a portion broiled, and found it good 

 both ways. 



During the night a wild Muckna elephant visited our 

 females. Fearing he might do some damage for if these 

 males are baulked in their desires, they think nothing of 

 wrenching off the tail of the coy female I took a rifle and 

 stood guard within 10 yards of him for three or four hours, 

 not blessing him, as the mosquitoes were very troublesome. 

 I was not sorry when he got our wind and went away across 

 the Manass. Shooting elephants was then forbidden in 

 Assam. 



As it was raining in the morning I would not go out 

 shooting, though some Bhooteahs declared they could show 

 me four rhinoceros within a couple of miles. I tried fishing 

 .again, landed a beauty of between 8 and 9 Ibs., then I hooked 

 another; I played him for some time, but he eventually broke 

 my line and escaped. I tried crystal bait, artificial minnows, 



