sparkling waters. Then we journeyed without much difficulty through a tract described in the maps as dark, impenetrable forest, and through a garden of cardamoms, which here and there occupy the place of undergrowth in the woods. The little fruit is used for sweetmeats and confection, and, when mixed with aromatic spices, is a joy to rich Mahomedans all the world over. The tall stem and leaves of the cardamom plant are very like those of the elephant reed, and whether for this reason or not, it is an article of faith that elephants and cardamoms get on well together, and without the big beast the little fruit cannot flourish. This is a jungle creed, and an effort is made to establish a similar connection between the bison and the passion flower. I offer these theories for anyone to laugh at, and I got them from the hillman, whom, in the jungle, I place before the philosopher. Whether or not the forest ox likes it, the fruit of the passion flower is very good eating.

Here we found another camp of grass houses, and E- followed a wounded bull for many miles through the forest, narrowly escaping a charge. When the bison puts his head down and comes on, the only thing to do is to get out of the straight line, for no earthly thing will stop him, and the pace he goes must be seen to be appreciated. It was a singular circumstance that this animal was shot while the herd to which he belonged was rushing at full speed upon the sportsman's gun, frightened by the feint a tiger had made upon one of the cows. I had shot bison before, and might have had another, had I not waited for H-, who lost his chance in the long grass. The shot always offers to the wrong gun.

Now we had two really interesting days. Changing camp, Eand I started in the early morning to walk over a good many miles of country before we dined. On the way I made out with the naked eye a herd of elephants on a distant hill, but found that they were rocks on looking through my binoculars. A view, however, through my companion's glasses, made in Germany, at Jena, and beyond all comparison superior to mine or to any others I have seen, revealed the fact that after all the rocks were elephants. A quick walk of two or three miles brought us up to them. At this time of the year the grass is so long that you can see nothing in front of you, and may tumble on to an elephant before you know where you are. So it was that after nearly running up against a cow, after many a stratagem, feint, advance and retreat, we finally got within a short distance of two tuskers. You cannot kill an elephant, however, unless you get a good shot at absolutely close quarters into the brain, which is well protected, and only to be reached by a welldirected aim. The ivory bearers eluded the ivory hunters and moved on into the grass. Following them we got mixed up amongst the cows and calves, and were in imminent danger of being run over, as they rushed about hither and thither in the tall grass, while we

stood with cocked guns, in anything but a comfortable situation. When, however, the herd at length cleared off, we made for a neighbouring hill, beneath a little tree, to take our luncheon. On the way we saw a solitary calf; obviously it had been left behind, and was wandering in search of its mother about the forest, which just here contains more trees than the so-called Scotch deer forest, but not enough to deserve the name in this country. Such trees as grow in this particular spot rarely rise more than 8 or 10 feet above the top of the tall grass. While we were sitting under a shrub of this description, with our minds set on refreshment, one of our hillmen came running up to say that an elephant was approaching, and presently a cow stalked up within about 30 yards of the tree. We looked at it, and waved our hands, whereon the beast slowly and deliberately moved off into the grass, which here was not so tall as it had been below in the place at which we found the herd. We then resumed our interrupted luncheon, and presently the hillman, who had climbed up to the top of the little tree, said that the elephant was again approaching. E-scrambled up into the tree, and I, taking my eight-bore gun in my hand, stood upon the fork just on a level with the top of the grass, to see what was happening, and made out the elephant looking curiously at us at a distance of 40 yards on the other side from that on which she had first appeared. Then suddenly she was lost behind a little tree, and I looked up and said, 'Where is she? I cannot see her now.' But the words had hardly left my mouth when, without a moment's warning, or a sound, she charged right up to us from behind another tree. I had hardly time to cock my gun and fire both barrels in her face, which was so near that the weapon might have touched it when discharged. The fire turned her, but it was a near thing, and in another moment she would have had me and would have butted down the little tree. Elephants will charge anything if they are thoroughly roused, and think very little of shaking a pigmy enemy out of a bush.

As I stepped down from the fork my foot splashed in her blood, and she left, convinced that the two men in a tree were better unmolested, while the two men were equally satisfied that cows with calves were better left alone.

The next two days we spent in watching a big herd of elephants which was making its home, for the time being, in dense jungle below our camp. Here they lived happily, avoiding the hot sun in the recesses of the dark forest, rendered negotiable only by the paths they make for themselves, enjoying their favourite food, with a swamp on one side for a bath, and a grassy hill upon the other for pasture. It seems positively wicked to penetrate with murderous intent the deep gloom of these forests, to sit treacherously on the hillside, or to hover near the swamp, in order to destroy the harmless leviathan who asks for nothing but to be let alone. Strongly as I entertain these

feelings, and deep as are the respect and regard I entertain towards the tribe of elephants, on the third morning I stalked a tusker just before dawn, and coming close to him, shot him through the brain, when he turned a complete somersault. It was a most singular sight to see the big beast with his four legs in the air, before he fell heavily never to rise.

The sportsman is somewhat encouraged, in stealthily creeping up within 20 or 30 yards of his elephant, by the reflection that these beasts are very poor sighted, and such no doubt is the case, though their noses are extremely good; but sitting on a rock one day in the full view of a herd of cows which was coming down towards me, I saw the leader catch sight of me at a distance of 250 yards, and then turn round in an instant followed by the rest. Since then it has appeared to me that one runs a greater risk than is supposed, and no one who has been charged by an elephant will approach one of that species again without a quick pulse, and nerves in a considerable state of tension.

Now if there is one thing more unlikely than another, it is that on a fine sunny afternoon, as early as three o'clock, alone, in front of the cows, the biggest tusker of the herd should leave the umbrageous depths of the forest and stalk proudly out upon the hillside; but that was just the unexpected thing that happened the day I shot the tusker. After a hard stalk up and down with many a spy from the forks of trees and shrubs, we came up with the monster just as he was again making for the jungle at sunset. E- and H- tossed for the shot and E-won, but we all three crawled up within about 25 yards, when Egot in with a good shot in the ear-hole-the best place for a lateral aim-and dropped the elephant in his tracks. His tusks measured upwards of 5 feet in length, and were exceedingly thick, massive, and well-shaped; in fact, the best pair I have ever seen.

On the way home it was obvious from a distance that something unusual had occurred in the little camp. The ponies we had left at the top of the hill had disappeared, and long before we approached our grassy homes, excited messengers rushed out to say that the camp had been attacked by the herd, my horse had galloped off into space, two ponies were missing, one shikari had been bruised and had narrowly escaped being trampled to death, while three men had stood a siege in a good-sized tree, which a big cow elephant had tried to knock down, or to shake till the occupants fell out of it. In fact, the herd, scared by the shots fired at the tusker and terrified by the death in one day of two of their champions, had made off without any particular plan of operations from this fatal locality, and had passed over our camp, which happened to be in the way, like a whirlwind. Two days before, while we were out shooting, a tiger had been seen walking near the huts, and the result of all this was that the next morning it was impossible to get hillmen to stalk, horses to ride, grooms to

attend to them, coolies to carry loads, or any one to do anything. The two ponies were never heard of again, elephantophobia was rampant in our settlement, and indeed the conduct of the cow in determinedly attacking the men in the tree, combined with the incident which had occurred to E- and myself, presented elephants in a new light to me, although I have seen a great deal of them, and have even been present at a fight in the Cochin jungles between two tuskers, which it would be presumption in me even to attempt to describe. Both combatants, however, gave the impression of being determined to live to fight again, like the heroes of so many Homeric encounters. Few things are more interesting than to sit and watch a herd of elephants slowly, gracefully, and with exceeding dignity, moving about the forest, or descending to the swamp for a bath. The cows keep together, and their calves follow at heel, imitating their mothers' actions by filling their trunks and spouting fountains over their backs, and on their own account rolling in undisguised glee in the mud, wallowing in the water, and sometimes unbending to play 'pull devil, pull baker' with their trunks. Adult and middleaged elephants, of course, never play games, and even in their youth they affect a grave and dignified demeanour.

Few men would care to kill many elephants or can contemplate without mixed feelings the ivory tusks torn from the venerable head. Lying prostrate on the grass, when shot, the big beast always recalls to me Homer's description of Hector's slain charioteer, far remote though the scene be from the clash of arms and the whirl of dust:

κεῖτο μέγας μεγαλωστί.

Very soon, however, the dead elephant becomes a terror to the country side. His vast form takes time to resolve into its primal elements, though legions of vultures collect upon and around his carcase, and hang heavily in neighbouring trees, too gorged to rise upon their powerful wings. Meanwhile, corruption spreads around, and weeks elapse before any one can approach to extract the teeth. These horrors, however, only follow upon a murder. The elephant which dies a natural death is dignified and considerate to the end, and no human eye discovers what inaccessible spot he chooses for his dissolution.

Next day we shifted our camp from the scene of so many and great adventures, and I had an encounter with a bear, who came off victorious, and E- went out with a shot gun for a change, and got a Malabar squirrel and an eagle, put his foot upon a big snake, not knowing what it was until it wriggled, and also shot a woodpecker with black wings, a white waistcoat, and a crimson crest. This bird, which is quite the most full dressed in creation, I have only seen on the Cardamom hills, and in the Nelliampatties. There was a lot of small game about, including quails, which continually got up in clouds

from under the feet, calling 'Cheep cheep,' and also wild cats, who amused themselves by jumping up in front of me and disappearing before I could even offer to shoot them.

At this new camp there was a little colony of folk interested in cardamom culture, and the amiable wives of the hillmen had come in their crowds. It seems that they are unwilling to part with their husbands even for a single night. Interested in such an example of sustained conjugal affection, I asked for an explanation, and was informed that the ladies of the hills are much more loving than their sisters of the plains towards their husbands.' This is exactly the reverse of the state of things said by certain writers, without, let us hope, sufficient reason, to exist among the Anglo-Indian ladies. Nor were these latter-day Dryads deficient in polite conversation. Though they had come for the sake of their husbands, as was right and proper, in answer to my inquiries they assured me with well-bred mendacity that they had travelled hither solely to see myself, and having succeeded in doing so, were quite satisfied. Could I do less than give an entertainment to these ladies? I thought not; and on a glorious day in the middle of December-warmth without heat, and coolness without cold-where the sun shone down upon undulating grass and forest extending in all directions as far as the eye could reach-mountains, woods, abysses, a paradise of wildernesseswe collected together the hillmen and the hill ladies. Indeed, we asked the whole county society. Three men dressed themselves as dancing girls, which, I hope, the league for the suppression of this class will forgive, and the attitudes and gestures of these women were counterfeited with great success, as were also their costumes and jewelry, the latter being made of marigold, jasmine, and other fragrant flowers. Meanwhile a pantaloon furnished with an astonishing beard and with luxuriant whiskers of bamboo danced vigorously throughout the programme, which included an exhibition by the infants of the camp. The small boys were brought up by their proud fathers, who said they were to grow up as mighty hunters. I hope this entertainment was sanctified by the accidental and welcome presence of a priest. At any rate this was the opinion of a Catholic audience.

Next day we marched on through the forest to the foot of the higher hills, starting at four o'clock in the morning, in the light of the full moon which illuminated the peaks towering above us, the highest of which rise to an elevation of nearly 9,000 feet:

The moon above with its full-orbed lustre,
Lifting the veil of the slumberous night,
Gleamed over the lofty mountain cluster,

And bathed its peaks in a flood of light.

Extreme admiration has often been pleaded at any rate as ar excuse for liberties taken; and Sir Alfred Lyall's beautiful lines,