340 WILD MEN AND WILD BEASTS. 



somewhat resembling trout, which took fly and minnow very 

 readily. We also got some mahseer. These rose fairly in 

 the streams to a small salmon-fly, but they were more fre- 

 quently taken by a lump of flour paste, to which cotton wool 

 was added to give consistency. I have since heard that these 

 fish will frequently take a hook baited with the "goolur" or 

 wild fig. 



Observing a large alligator basking on a sandbank on the 

 far side of the river, I made a successful stalk and shot him 

 dead. He was nearly twelve feet in length, and desiring to 

 hold a post-mortem examination on him, we proceeded to 

 bind him on an elephant. The sagacious animal had not, 

 however, been broken in to alligators, and the tail of the huge 

 reptile having been allowed to dangle against his side, he 

 swung round suddenly, and having shaken off his load, fled 

 with the mahout in the wildest terror. Fortunately, the 

 country was open, and the man kept his seat. He returned 

 late in the afternoon, affirming that the elephant had only 

 been brought into subjection after a dance of twelve kos 

 Anglic^ twenty-four miles ! ! The elephant was styled from 

 that day forward the " Bara kos ke bhagne wallah," or runner 

 of twelve kos. 



One morning we came on a large party of native fishermen 

 encamped on the bank of the Bunass river. Their operations 

 were principally conducted at night with large casting-nets. 

 On arriving at the fishing ground they busied themselves 

 in preparing rafts composed of masses of long green reeds. 

 These rafts were about ten feet in length, and three in breadth 

 and depth. Each was calculated to support one man. While 

 fishing, they moved in two files about twenty yards apart, 

 while two rafts closed up the rear. Each man had a large 

 casting-net lying ready coiled at his feet. He propelled his 



