Chap. IV.] 
THE ELEPHANT. 
143 
But notwithstanding this prodigious destruction, a re- 
ward of a few shillings per head offered by the Grovern- 
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- 
vince, between Gralle and Hambangtotte. 
Although there is little opportunity for the display of 
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 of 
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 hoxir, 
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 of 
1400 elephants. 
One gentleman in Ceylon, not 
less distinguished for his genuine 
kindness of heart, than for his 
marvellous success in shooting ele- 
phants, avowed to me that the 
eagerness with which he found 
himself impelled to pursue them 
had often excited surprise in his 
own mind; and although he had 
never read the theory of Lord 
Karnes, or the speculations of Vi- 
cesimus Knox, he had come to the 
conclusion that the passion thus 
excited within him was a remnant 
of the hunter's instinct, with which 
man was originally endowed to 
enable him, by the chase, to sup- 
port existence in a state of nature, 
and which, though rendered dor- 
mant by civilisation, had not been 
utterly eradicated. 
This theory is at least more 
consistent and intelligible than 
the "love of nature and scenery," 
sentimentally propounded by the 
author quoted above. 
