402 WILD ANIMALS. 



ground. I have seen buffaloes lying down in tlie same mud-hole 

 with a rhinoceros, whilst elephants have been grazing not far off; 

 as a rule, whatever else he may be frightened at, a Burmese 

 elephant cares little for a buffalo, he is so used to them both in the 

 wild and the domesticated state." These animals associate together 

 in small herds, eighteen or twenty may occasionally be found, but 

 as a rule the numbers are under these figures. 



The buffalo is a fierce and savage animal, and will frequently 

 charge without the shghtest provocation. It is also described as 

 being of a treacherous disposition, for if one becomes detached, 

 or has been driven from the herd he gets morose and will lie in 

 wait and attack anything, man or animal, that comes in his way. 

 In this respect he is more dangerous than a rogue elephant, and 

 natives frequently come to an untimely end by accidentally encoun- 

 tering a solitary bull of this description, when passing through a 

 jungle, or even when cultivating their crops. 



The danger attending buffalo-stalking in such a country as 

 Assam was clearly demonstrated by an adventure Captain Baldwin 

 met with. The account is taken fi'om his book, " The Large and 

 Small Game of Bengal." Accompanied by a single native, he 

 entered the jungle, which, as he states, on account of its denseness 

 no sane mortal should have entered, as it was almost impossible for 

 a man on foot to see two yards in front of him. Presently a splash- 

 ing in the water some little distance away attracted attention, and 

 as it was attributed to the noise made by a large deer drinking, 

 they proceeded to stalk it. What follows is given in his own 

 words : — 



" "We advanced cautiously a few paces till we reached the spot 

 where the deer had been standing a few moments previously. I 

 was just pointing out to my companion the water yet trickling into 

 the slots made by its feet, when something moved in the grass 

 close to us. I turned round sharply, but all was again silent. 

 There was a tunnel under the reeds and jungle, up which the deer 

 we were following had gone. I made sure that what we had heard in 

 the grass was the sound of this deer retreating, little thinking that 

 a treacherous monster in the shape of an old bull buffalo was 

 ready waiting for me ; so stooping, I followed the tracks. It was 



