RUMOURS OF WILD ELEPHANTS 



especially those of himself, wife and children, were in 

 imminent peril." The Government of Bombay, despite 

 the quaint wording of this application, recognized the 

 seriousness of the situation and took up the matter, and, 

 shortly afterwards, consulted the Forest Officer and myself 

 as to the best means to be adopted for circumventing these 

 brutes, as they were really causing havoc to the crops of the 

 villages within a considerable area. 



I remember suggesting that one of the two following 

 plans should be adopted : the first that some men might 

 be sent from the Mysore Kheddah, which had been estab- 

 lished on the lines of Sanderson's Klieddah, to capture the 

 elephants by the creation of a temporary blockade, etc., 

 or, failing this, that I might be authorized to shoot them, 

 and be given the necessary leave and permission to enter the 

 Kanara district and organize my campaign. 



Dharwar, as I have said, being on the borders of the 

 Kanara district, there was a likelihood of these animals 

 crossing over to my side. Accordingly, pending a reply 

 to my suggestion, I arranged, whenever possible, to have 

 my camp as near this border as I could. 



However, as neither the Forest Officer nor myself received 

 any reply from the Government to the suggestions we had 

 'Tiade, we naturally concluded that they had given up all 

 lea of disturbing the elephants, trusting probably they 

 would return to Mysore on their own account. It trari^- 

 pired afterwards, however, and much to my amusenunl, 

 that the elephants were being preserved for some high 

 personages, who were contemplating a shooting trip to 

 Kanara themselves I 



Finally, about Christmas time, hearing rumours of the 

 tlephants having been seen close to the southern borders of 

 Dharwar, I arranged to have my usual Christmas camp in 

 that locality, where I was eventually joined by one or two 

 others, for, as I said before, a camp at this festive season 

 is generally a larger one than usual. 



Amongst thase who were there on this occasion was a 

 > oung civilian, who had recently purchased a very valuable 

 '• "I ' which had cost him several hundred nij>ees. On the 

 <: i\ before he rode out to the camp, he had sent his animal 

 on to change to halfway. The next morning on arriving 



109 



