138 
MAMMALIA. 
[Chap. III. 
the body to a very jelly. This done, he took up the pingo and 
moved away from the spot ; but at the distance of about a 
fathom or two, laid it down again, and ripping open one of the 
bundles, took out of it all the contents, somans 1 , cambdyas 2 , 
handkerchiefs, and several pieces of white cambrick cloth, all 
which he tore to small pieces, and flung them wildly here and 
there. He did the same with all the other pingoes. When 
this was over the elephant quietly walked away into the jungle, 
trumpeting all the way as far as I could hear. When danger 
was past I came out of my concealment, and returned to the 
place where we had halted that morning. Here the rest 
of my companions joined me soon after. The next morning 
we set out again on our journey, our party being now increased 
by some seven or eight traders from Salpity Corle : but this 
time we did not meet with the elephant. We found the 
mangled corpse of our cooly on the same spot where I had seen 
it the day before, together with the torn pieces of my cloths, 
of which we collected as fast as we could the few which were 
serviceable, and all the brass utensils which were quite unin- 
jured. That elephant was a noted rogue. He had before this 
killed many people on that road, especially those carrying 
pingoes of coco-nut oil and ghee. He was afterwards killed 
by an Englishman. The incidents I have mentioned above, 
took place about twenty years ago." 
The following also relates to the same locality. It was 
narrated to me by an old Moorman of Barberyn, who, during 
his earlier years, led the life of a pedlar. 
2. " I and another," said he, " were on our way to Badulla, 
one day some twenty-five or thirty years ago. We were 
quietly moving along a path which wound round a hill, when 
all of a sudden, and without the slightest previous intimation 
either by the rustling of leaves or by any other sign, a huge 
elephant with short tusks rushed to the path. Where he had 
been before I can't say ; I believe he must have been lying in 
1 Woman's robe. 
2 The figured cloth, worn by men. 
