BISON. 123 



recur, for when a bison was knocked over he never 

 advanced till the body had been bombarded with sticks 

 and stones for several minutes. 



The coolies were supplied from the Mulsers, also a 

 jungle tribe, who inhabited the lower slopes of the hills 

 and were looked down upon morally and literally 

 by the Carders. My plan of operations was to use 

 Toonacudavoo as a strategic base from which expeditions 

 could be made to certain hunting grounds within a radius 

 of fifteen miles, supplies being obtained from it every 

 third day. In order to keep the stores at this base up to 

 the requirements, Douglas very kindly arranged to send 

 coolies once a week to the village of Annamullay for rice, 

 fowls, curry stuff, kids, arrack, and tobacco. This system 

 worked admirably. A large tract of country was opened 

 up for shikar, and the Carders and Mulsers ate and drank 

 to their hearts' content. They chew tobacco, but will not 

 smoke, believing it affects the lungs. 



All being in readiness we started on the 30th June for 

 Poolakul, seven miles to the south. Two Mulsers carried 

 my tent, an old regulation single poler, with a double fly ; 

 two more carried camp utensils, groceries, and bedding ; 

 the remainder being Carders, and above this sort of work, 

 carried my rifles and ammunition and their own food 

 supply. My butler was left at Toonacudavoo as "master 

 of the depot ; " but the " chokra " accompanied me, and 

 we both carried a share of our own eatables rice and 

 fowls. He was a plucky boy of about fifteen years of age, 

 and had been in the habit of carrying my second rifle and 

 loading it for me during the previous hot weather.* My 



* He never attempted to bolt, but in ticklish moments he 

 used to carry the spare rifle in one hand, and hold on to my 

 coat with the other. 



