CHAPTER XVir. 



ELEPHANT-HUNTING IN THE ANNAMULLAY FOREST. 



Coimbatore. — News of elephants. — A Poojah to propitiate the 

 Hindoo deities meets with no satisfactory results. — A court- 

 martial held on the recusant Sawmy. — Sentence and execu- 

 tion. — The ghost of the injured Sawmy appears to the Gooroo. 

 — His threat. — The laying of the spirit. — Result obtained. — 



The start. — M 's hut at Tunnacuddoo. — His hospitality. 



— A bison wounded. — Taketty. —News of a herd of elephants. 

 — Our bivouac. — A night alarm. — Elephants astir. — A bull- 

 elephant yields up his spoils. — An immense snake caught. — 

 We follow up the spoor of the herd. — Beautiful forest scenery. 

 — Tracking by torchlight. — Difficulties surmounted. — We 

 swim a nullah.— The trail.— The herd in view.— A bull 

 elephant anchored. — A second tusker wounded. — A charge. — 

 A predicament.— A lucky shot decides the day.— The result of 

 a pat from an elephant. 



Coimbatore has ever been considered one of the 

 most desirable of our miKtary cantonments in 

 Southern India, not only on account of its proximity 

 to the Neilgherry and Annamullay Mountains, and 

 its comparatively cool and salubrious climate, but 

 because it is a single station, where one regiment 

 only is quartered, consequently the duty is extremely 



