10 SPORT AND TRAVEL PAPERS 



swampy ground, and ferns, from the lovely tree fern to the 

 delicate maidenhair, are very frequent. Instead of the bright 

 yellow bed of sand, we now tread on soft, wet black mud, into 

 which the foot sinks deeply. But ours are not the only feet 

 which have left their mark here ; every inch of the black 

 mud is trodden over in every direction by apparently every 

 kind of animal which roams about in these vast forests. Here 

 are the deep oval impressions of the mighty elephant's foot, 

 there those of the three-toed rhinoceros ; here the cleft hoof of 

 the buffalo, there the soft paw of the tiger ; pig had wallowed 

 here, deer of every species, pea and every other fowl and bird 

 had found their way to this bog and trampled it into deep holes 

 half filled with black ooze. So very recent seemed all these 

 marks that we looked around in expectation of seeing some 

 of the giants of the forest standing around angry at our intru- 

 sion and determined to resent it ; but none were visible, and we 

 were allowed to examine into the reason why this spot, so for- 

 bidding to us, should have such very great attractions for the 

 beasts of the jungle. The reason was soon found. The black 

 water and mud were strongly impregnated with salt, the springs 

 which here issued from the soil brought with them that condi- 

 ment which is as necessary to animals as it is to man, and, with 

 their usual sagacity, here they had discovered it, and to it they 

 no doubt came for miles and miles around, to lick the mud and 

 wallow in the bog. 



What a place for a hunter to watch at to wait, well hidden 

 in the bushes around, the advent of the quarry he was especially 

 anxious to secure ! The thorough hiding seemed the only diffi- 

 culty to overcome, for, radiating in every direction from the salt- 

 lick, were the hard-trodden paths made and used for generations 

 probably by the beasts of the forest, having only thin strips of 

 bush and jungle between them, where, but partially concealed, 

 the hunter would have only a very poor chance of remaining 

 undetected by the sharp sight and acute smell of the animal he 

 wished to slay. Thus the chance which promised best was to 

 follow the freshest spoor, until pursuer and pursued met face to 

 face, generally in the deepest part of the forest, where during 

 the heat of the day the latter either fed its way slowly along or 

 was enjoying its siesta. 



Unfortunately at the time I am speaking of circumstances had 



