THE ASIATIC ELEPHANT. 55 



wards evening I met some woodcutters, who informed me that they had seen a tusker 

 in Golni Kohl. On going to the place we found the recent track of a large Elephant, 

 and selecting a likely spot near some water sat down to listen. After about half an hour 

 a loud crack, as of a breaking branch, disturbed the silence, but the sound was not 

 repeated. After a time I went towards the place whence the sound had proceeded, and 

 found the perfectly fresh footmarks of an Elephant which had passed since we came up. 

 Following the track, I found that the Elephant had entered a long belt of high grass on 

 the margin of the watercourse, so I went down to the end to wait for his appearance. 

 Taking up a good position, I sent my gun-carrier up the high bank above me to look out ; 

 he presently saw the Elephant cross the ' rdo ' and enter the jungle on the opposite 

 bank. I soon got across to him and found him feeding on some bamboos. Getting in his 

 path, I waited for him to feed up to me, and got a steady shot within fifteen yards between 

 the eye and ear, which I felt certain must prove fatal. To my disappointment, however, 

 after blundering about for some time in such a cloud of dust that I could not see to fire 

 again, he made off, and as it was becoming dusk I had to leave him till next morning, 

 when I took up the track. 



I followed it for many miles, and at last lost it among those of a herd of Elephants 

 which I found in another ' kohl! I had a look at a number of them, but as they were all 

 females and young ones, I would not fire at them. 



For several days I hunted in vain for a tusker, but saw females and small ones nearly 

 every day. I sometimes lay for hours watching their habits with great interest. Their 

 extraordinary faculty of scent was one of their most observable characteristics. I noticed 

 that whenever an Elephant went to leeward of me, though at many hundred yards' distance, 

 up went her trunk, the signal of alarm was given, and the herd collected together, betraying 

 the greatest uneasiness. On one occasion I had a peculiarly good opportunity of watching 

 them, as I was lying on a high rock overlooking a level valley in which the herd had taken up 

 their station. 



Finding no tuskers, I left the Sewaliks and went down to the open country below 

 Hurdwar. Here I was told some tuskers resorted, and I had only been three nights in 

 the village of Bhoorper when three Elephants came at night to the fields close to the village. 



Next morning I followed the tracks, which showed that they were all large ones, and one, 

 judging from the height of the mud marks on the trees, must have been an enormous one. 

 They had, however, gone straight down wind ; it was impossible to move through the dense 

 jungle except in their path, and when I at length came up with them and heard them chew- 

 ing under a tree forty yards ahead of me, they had already scented me, and at once made off. 

 As they went down wind, pursuit was unsuccessful. That night they again visited the 

 gardens, but my leave was up and I was obliged to return. 



In May, 1865, I again visited the Doon and Sewaliks, determined to do my best against 

 the Elephants. I had a most powerful battery, which I felt confident would enable me to 

 give a good account of any Elephants I might come across. The result shows how useless 

 the heaviest guns are unless used scientifically. 



