Cuar. IV.} THE ELEPHANT. 143 
But notwithstanding this prodigious destruction, a re- 
ward of a few shillings per head offered by the Govern- 
ment for taking elephants was claimed for 3500 destroyed 
in part of the northern province alone, in less than three 
years prior to 1848: and between 1851 and 1856, a 
similar reward was paid for 2000 in the southern pro- 
yince, between Galle and Hambangtotte. 
Although there is little opportunity for the display o1 
marksmanship in an elephant battue, there is one feature 
in the sport, as conducted in Ceylon, which contrasts 
favourably with the slaughterhouse details chronicled 
with revolting minuteness in some recent accounts o/ 
severing the muscles of the hind 
leg, and extending up the spine; 
his hind leg having the appearance 
of being nearly off.” In this state, 
forgetful of the character he had 
so lately given of the true sports- 
man, as a lover of nature and a 
hater of cruelty, he encouraged 
“the poor old dog,” as he calls 
him, to resume the fight with the 
boar, which lasted for an hour, 
when he managed to call the dogs 
off; and perfectly exhausted, the 
mangled hound crawled out of the 
jungle with several additional 
wounds, including a severe gash 
in his throat. “He fell from 
exhaustion, and we made a litter 
with two poles and a horsecloth to 
carry him home.’”—P. 314. If 
such were the habitual enjoyments 
of this class of sportsmen, their 
motiveless massacres would admit 
of no manly justification. In com- 
parison with them one is disposed 
to regard almost with favour the 
exploits of a hunter like Major 
Rogers, who is said to have applied 
the value of the ivory obtained 
from his encounters towards the 
purchase of his successive regi 
mental commissions, and had 
therefore, an object, however dis. 
proportionate, in his slaughter o: 
1400 elephants. 
One gentleman in Ceylon, no: 
less distinguished for his genuint 
kindness of heart, than for hi 
marvellous success in shooting ele 
phants, avowed to me that th 
eagerness with which he foun¢ 
himself impelled to pursue then 
had often excited surprise in his 
own mind; and although he hac 
never read the theory of Lorc 
Kames, or the speculations of Vi 
cesimus Knox, he had come to thi 
conclusion that the passion thu: 
excited within him was a remnan 
of the hunter’s instinct, with whicl 
man was originally endowed t 
enable him, by the chase, to sup 
port existence in a state of nature 
and which, though rendered dor 
mant by civilisation, had not bee 
utterly eradicated. 
This theory is at least mor 
consistent and intelligible tha 
the “love of nature and scenery,’ 
sentimentally propounded by th 
author quoted above, 
