elephant 
425 
morning with a view of taking out its tusks, when 
they found from fifteen to twenty of these animals 
busily employed in removing the dead corpse with 
their snouts. 
At Hejiiru, says Dr. Buchanan, I went into the 
forests about three cdsses/ to a small tank, farther 
than which the natives rarely venture, and to which 
they do not go, without being much alarmed by 
wild elephants. In this forest these animals are 
certainly more numerous than either in Chittagony 
or Pegu. I have never seen any where so many 
traces of them. The natives, when they meet an 
elephant in the day time, hide themselves , in the 
grass, or behind bushes, and the animal does not 
search after them ; but were he to see them even at 
a distance, he would run at them, and put them to 
death. It is stragglers only from the herds, that in 
the day time frequent the outer parts of the forest. 
The herds that at night destroy the crops, retire 
with the dawn of day into the recesses of the fo- 
rest ; and thither the natives do not venture, as 
they could not hide themselves from a number. 
It is said that at the above-mentioned tank there 
was formerly a village ; but that both it and several 
others on the skirt of the forest have lately been 
withdrawn, owing to an increased number of ele- 
phants, and to the smaller means of resistance which 
a decreased population allows. The forest is free 
from underwood or creepers ; but the whole ground 
is covered with long grass, often as high as 
a man’s head. This makes walking rather disagree- 
able and dangerous, as one is liable always to stum- 
ble over rotten trunks, to rouse a tiger, or to tread 
on a snake. These latter are said to be found of 
great dimensions, and have been seen as tlvick as 
the body of a middle-sized man. Their length does 
not exceed seven cubits 
The Cad Curubaru are a rude tribe of Karnata, 
Vol. ii. 3 i 
