I passed an hour in vainly searching for a ruby worth collecting, but the largest did not exceed the size of mustard seed.
The natives use this sand for cutting elephants' teeth, in the same manner that a stonemason uses sand to assist him in sawing through a stone.Elephants' teeth or grinders are so hard that they will produce sparks upon being struck with a hatchet.
About two miles from the opposite bank of the river, having journeyed through a narrow path bordered upon either side by thick jungle, we opened upon an extensive plain close to the village of Wihare-welle.
This plain was covered with wild indigo, and abounded with peafowl.
Passing through the small village at the extremity of the plain, we pitched the tent upon the borders of the lake, about a quarter of a mile beyond it.This tank was about three miles in circumference, and, like that of Sitrawelle, was one of the ancient works of the Mahagam princes.
The village was almost deserted; none but the old men and women and children remained, as the able-bodied men had gone to the Kattregam festival.We could, therefore, obtain no satisfactory information regarding elephants; but I was convinced, from the high grass around the lake, that if any elephants were in the district some would be here.It was late in the evening, the coolies were heaping up the night-fires, and as darkness closed upon us, the savoury steam of a peacock that was roasting on a stick betokened the welcome approach of dinner.We had already commenced, when the roaring of elephants within a short distance of the tent gave us hope of sport on the following day.
At daybreak the next morning I strolled round the lake to look for tracks.A herd of about seven had been feeding during the night within half a mile of the tent.During my walk I saw innumerable pea-fowl, jungle-fowl, hares and ducks, in addition to several herds of deer; but not wishing to disturb the country, I did not fire, but returned to the tent and sent out trackers.
In the afternoon the natives returned with intelligence of a small pool two miles from the opposite shore of the lake, situated in dense jungle;here they had seen fresh elephant tracks, and they proposed that we should watch the pool that evening at the usual drinking hour of the game.As this was the only pool of water for miles round with the exception of the lake, I thought the plan likely to succeed, and we therefore started without loss of time.
On arrival at the pool we took a short survey of our quarters.A small round sheet of water of perhaps eighty yards in diameter lay in the midst of a dense jungle.Several large trees were growing close to the edge, and around these lay numerous rocks of about four feet high, forming a capital place for concealment.Covering the tops of the rocks with boughs to conceal our heads, we lay quietly behind them in expectation of the approaching game.
The sun sank, and the moon rose in great beauty, throwing a silvery light upon the surface of the water chequered by the dark shadows of the surrounding trees.Suddenly the hoarse bark of an elk sounded within a short distance, and I could distinguish two or three dark forms on the opposite bank.The shrill and continual barking of spotted deer now approaching nearer and nearer, the rustling in the jungle, and the splashing in the water announced continual arrivals of game to the lonely drinking-place.Notwithstanding the immense quantity of animals that were congregated together, we could not distinguish them plainly on account of the dark background of jungle.Elk, deer, buffaloes, and hogs were all bathing and drinking in immense numbers, but there were no elephants.
For some hours we watched the accumulation of game; there was not a breath of air, although the scud was flying fast above us, occasionally throwing a veil over the moon and casting a sudden obscurity on the dim scene before us.Our gun-bearers were crouched around us; their dark skins matching with the ground on which they squatted, they looked like so many stumps of trees.It was nearly ten o'clock, and my eyes ached with watching; several times I found myself nodding as sleep took me by surprise; so, leaving a man to look out, we sat quietly down and discussed a cold fowl that we had brought with us.
We had just finished a pint bottle of cherry brandy when I felt a gentle touch upon my shoulder, and our look-out man whispered in my ear the magic word 'alia' (elephant), at the same time pointing in the direction of the tank.The guns were all wrapped up in a blanket to keep them from the dew, so telling W.to uncover them and to distribute them to the respective gun-bearers without noise, I crept out and stole unperceived along the margin of the tank to discover the number and position of the elephants.So deceitful was the moonlight, being interrupted by the dark shadows of the jungle, that I was within ten paces of the nearest elephant before I distinguished her.I counted three--one large and two others about six feet high.Being satisfied with my information, and having ascertained that no others were in the jungle, I returned to my companions; they were all ready, and we crept forward.We were within ten paces of the large elephant, when a branch of hooked thorn caught W.
by the clothes; the noise that he made in extricating himself immediately attracted the attention of the elephant, and she turned quickly round, receiving at the same moment an ineffectual shot from W.;B.at the same time fired without effect at one of the small elephants.
