2l8 COLONEL NIGHTINGALE'S LETTER. 



he only went the faster. I therefore after some time 

 got back into the howdah and sat waiting the final smash, 

 which came very soon ; for the elephant seeing a large 

 tree made for it and dashed us against it, and I found 

 myself falling from a height of ten feet, howdah and all, 

 backwards ; it weighs 250 lbs., so you may fancy the crash 

 with which we came down. The howdah was broken into 

 thirty pieces scattered all round me, the very seat was in 

 bits, yet not a bone had I or my man broken. Did you 

 ever hear of a more providential escape ? As I fell, I 

 thought I must be smashed, and after the crash I jumped 

 up amazed but only bruised. I declare I break out into 

 a perspiration when I think of the scrimmage, but then, I 

 was as cool as I ever was. The elephant ran for twenty- 

 two miles, and being bitten and wounded in so many 

 places is not yet well enough to be brought in. Well, 

 after picking up the pieces, I felt as you may suppose 

 somewhat riled with my friend the Panura ; so as I felt 

 sure he must be very seedy, if not actually dead after so 

 many balls, I reloaded my guns and walked to the spot 

 where the fight had taken place, as I was not going to 

 be done by him. We advanced very cautiously as you may 

 fancy ; at last we saw his outline in the grass about fifteen 

 yards off, and telling my people to keep steady I fired into 

 the heart — no row, so up I rushed with a yell, and the man- 

 eater of Lakara was my own. Oh ! such a snifHer ! Height 

 at shoulder, four feet two inches ; length of animal, ten feet 

 two inches ; length of skin, twelve feet six inches. His fangs 

 were exactly four of my fingers in length ; as he was brought 

 in, whole villages turned out and abused him. So ended my 

 trip : in six days I bagged eight tigers, two nhilgie and a 



