Chap. V.] 
THE ELEPHANT. 
159 
they go a-head again with renewed vigour. So delicate 
is the sense of smell in the elephant, and so indispen- 
sable is it to go against the wind in approaching him, 
that on those occasions when the wind is so still that its 
direction cannot be otherwise discerned, the Panickeas 
will suspend the film of a gossamer to determine it and 
shape their course accordingly. 
They are enabled by the inspection of the footmarks, 
when impressed in soft clay, to describe the size as well 
as the number of a herd before it is seen ; the height of 
an elephant at the shoulder being as nearly as possible 
twice the circumference of his fore foot. 1 
On overtaking the game their courage is as conspicuous 
as their sagacity. If they have confidence in the sports- 
man for whom they are finding, they will advance to 
the very heel of the elephant, slap him on the quarter, 
and convert his timidity into anger, till he turns upon 
his tormentor and exposes his front to receive the bullet 
which is awaiting him. 2 
1 Previous to the death of the 
female elephant in the Zoological 
Gardens, in the Kegent's Park, in 
1851, Mr. Mitchell, the Secre- 
tary, caused measurements to be 
accurately made, and found the 
statement of the Singhalese hunters 
to be strictly correct, the height at 
the shoulders being precisely twice 
the circumference of the fore foot. 
2 Major Skinotsr, the Chief Offi- 
cer at the head of the Commission 
of Koads, in Ceylon, in writing to 
me, mentions an anecdote illus- 
trative of the daring of the Panic- 
keas. " I once saw," he says, " a 
very beautiful example of the con- 
fidence with which these fellows, 
from their knowledge of the ele- 
phants, meet their worst defiance. 
It was in Neuera-Kalawa ; I was 
bivouacking on the bank of a river, 
and had been kept out so late that 
I did not get to my tent until be- 
tween 9 and 10 at night. On our 
return towards it we passed several 
single elephants making their way 
to the nearest water, but at length 
we came upon a large herd that had 
taken possession of the only road 
by which we could pass, and which 
no intimidation would induce to 
move off. I had some Panickeas 
with me ; they knew the herd, and 
counselled extreme caution. After 
trying every device we could think 
of for a length of time, a little old 
Moorman of the party came to me 
and requested we should all retire 
to a distance. He then took a 
couple of chides (flambeaux of dried 
wood, or coco-nut leaves), one in 
