OF THE OLD WORLD. 249 



fortable hut constructed, a soft bed of leaves pre- 

 pared, and a tolerably savoury dish ready for me, 

 consisting of an elepliant's foot baked in a paste of 

 clay amongst the embers ; after having partaken of 

 which, a large fire was made, and we all sat round 

 enjoying " tiie fragrant narcotic weed," whilst the 

 Gooroo and Chineah by turns chanted an extempo- 

 rary song in a very monotonous tone, commemorat- 

 ing the exploits of the day, and all the rest took up 

 the chorus. 



Being very tired, and perhaps not musically in- 

 clined at the time, I fell asleep, and did not awake 

 until broad daylight the next morning, when I found 

 the gang busily emj^loyed with their axes in cutting 

 out the tusks, which weighed ninety-four pounds the 

 pair. This job took them about six hours, so that it 

 was nearly noon before we commenced our home- 

 ward route, and late at night when we arrived at the 

 Mulcher huts, where we had left the horses. There 

 we slept, returning to Ooty the night afterwards. 



