ELEPHANTS AND MAHOUTS. 357 



are, on the contrary, as steady and well-conducted as the 

 elephants they guide. Perhaps the finest stud of sporting 

 elephants at the present time is that of the Maharajah of 

 Kuch-Behar. 



I was once out with twelve elephants belonging to gentle- 

 men connected with indigo planting in Purneah, which for 

 their number were the very best I have ever met with, ten 

 at least of the dozen being steady beasts fit to carry the 

 howdah ; and I may add, that the three or four men who rode 

 them were, taking them all round, as keen and persevering 

 sportsmen, and as good and ready marksmen as any I have 

 ever known, men brought up in a school falling out of fashion 

 and giving place to others known among Hindostanees as 

 " sabebau-i-Kullum," Anglice and vulgarly, quill-drivers. 



I have always been in the habit of filling up cartridges 

 with my own hands, neither entrusting that duty to any 

 servant, nor buying filled ones ready made. Using as I do 

 the blue cases for snipe and other bird-shooting, I have found 

 that they may be re-filled at least twice, if the exploded caps 

 be immediately punched out and the cases themselves be 

 dried and cleaned with a brush ; new caps should not be in- 

 serted till the time has come for re-loading. For ball, I 

 use the green case, but never a second time for the same 

 purpose. 



I have after some experience found No. 4 powder the 

 best for shot cases, and No. 6 for rifles. As a rule, I dislike 

 shells for rifles, but am partial to Mead's for smooth-bores, 

 for use on soft animals, such as tigers, panthers, and bears, if 

 used for ranges not exceeding sixty or seventy yards, and if 

 carefully loaded with freshly mixed exploding mixture. 



