CHAPTER 1.
Wild Country—Dealings in the Marvellous—Enchanting Moments—The
Wild Elephant of Ceylon—'Rogues'—Elephant Slaughter—Thick
Jungles—Character of the Country—Varieties of Game in Ceylon—'Battery
for Ceylon Sport'—The Elk or 'Samber Deer'—Deer-coursingCHAPTER II.
Newera Ellia—The Turn-out for Elk-hunting—Elk-hunting—Elk turned to
Bay—The BoarCHAPTER III.
Minneria Lake—Brush with a Bull—An Awkward Vis-a-vis—A Bright
Thought—Bull Buffalo Receives his Small Change—What is Man?—Long Shot
with the Four-ounce—Charged by a Herd of Buffaloes—The Four-ounce
does Service—The 'Lola'—A Woman killed by a Crocodile—Crocodile at
Bolgodde Lake—A Monster Crocodile—Death of a CrocodileCHAPTER IV.
Equipment for a Hunting Trip—In Chase of a Herd of Elephants—Hard
Work—Close Quarters—Six Feet from the Muzzle—A Black with a DevilCHAPTER V.
The Four-ounce again—Tidings of a Rogue—Approaching a Tank Rogue—An
Exciting Moment—Ruins of Pollanarua—Ancient Ruins—Rogues at
Doolana—B. Charged by a Rogue—Planning an Attack—A Check—Narrow
Escape—Rogue-stalking—A Bad Rogue—Dangers of Elephant-shooting—The
Phatamahatmeya's TaleCHAPTER VI.
Character of the Veddahs—Description of the Veddahs—A Monampitya
Rogue—Attacking the Rogue—Breathless Excitement—Death of a Large
Rogue—Utility of the Four-ounce—A Curious Shot—Fury of a Bull
Buffalo—Character of the Wild Buffalo—Buffalo-shooting at Minneria
Lake—Charge in High Reeds—Close of a Good Day's Sport—Last Day at
Minneria—A Large Snake—An Unpleasant BedfellowCHAPTER VII.
Capabilities of Ceylon—Deer at Illepecadewe—Sagacity of a Pariah
Dog—Two Deer at One Shot—Deer-stalking—Hambantotte Country—Kattregam
Festival—Sitrawelle—Ruins of Ancient Mahagam—Wiharewelle—A Night
Attack upon Elephants—Shooting by Moonlight—Yalle River—Another
Rogue—A Stroll before Breakfast—A Curious Shot—A Good Day's SportCHAPTER VIII.
Best Hounds for Elk-hunting—Smut—Killbuck—The Horton Plains—A Second
Soyer—The Find—The Buck at Bay—The Bay—The Death—Return of Lost
Dogs—Comparative Speed of Deer—Veddah Ripped by a Boar—A Melee—Buck
at Black Pool—Old Smut's Ruse—Margosse OilCHAPTER IX.
A Morning's Deer-coursing—Kondawataweny—Rogue at Kondawataweny—A
Close Shave—Preparations for Catching an Elephant—Catching
an Elephant—Taming Him—Flying Shot at a Buck—Cave at
Dimbooldene—Awkward Ground—A Charmed LifeCHAPTER X.
Another Trip to the Park—A Hard Day's Work—Discover a Herd—Death of
the Herd—A Furious Charge—Caught at Last—The Consequences—A Thorough
Rogue—Another Herd in High Lemon Grass—Bears—A Fight between a
Moorman and a Bear—A Musical Herd—Herd Escape—A Plucky Buck—Death of
'Killbuck'—Good Sport with a Herd—End of the TripCHAPTER XI.
Excitement of Elephant-shooting—An Unexpected Visitor—A Long Run
with a Buck—Hard Work Rewarded—A Glorious Bay—End of a Hard Day's
Work—Bee-hunters—Disasters of Elk-hunting—Bran Wounded—'Old Smut's'
Buck—Boar at Hackgalla—Death of 'Old Smut'—Scenery from the Perewelle
Mountains—Diabolical Death of 'Merriman'—Scene of the MurderCHAPTER XII.
A Jungle TripCHAPTER XIII.
Conclusion
THE RIFLE AND HOUND.
CHAPTER I.
Wild Country-Dealings in the Marvellous-Enchanting Moments The Wild Elephant of Ceylon—'Rogues'-Elephant Slaughter-Thick Jungles-Character of the Country-Varieties of Game in Ceylon—'Battery for Ceylon Sport'-The Elk or 'Samber Deer'-Deer-coursing.
It is a difficult task to describe a wild country so exactly, that a stranger's eye shall at once be made acquainted with its scenery and character by the description. And yet this is absolutely necessary, if the narration of sports in foreign countries is supposed to interest those who have never had the opportunity of enjoying them. The want of graphic description of localities in which the events have occurred, is the principal cause of that tediousness which generally accompanies the steady perusal of a sporting work. You can read twenty pages with interest, but a monotony soon pervades it, and sport then assumes an appearance of mere slaughter.
Now, the actual killing of an animal, the death itself, is not sport, unless the circumstances connected with it are such as to create that peculiar feeling which can only be expressed by the word 'sport.' This feeling cannot exist in the heart of a butcher; he would as soon slaughter a fine buck by tying him to a post and knocking him down, as he would shoot him in his wild native haunts—the actual moment of death, the fact of killing, is his enjoyment. To a true sportsman the enjoyment of a sport increases in proportion to the wildness of the country. Catch a six-pound trout in a quiet mill-pond in a populous manufacturing neighbourhood, with well-cultivated meadows on either side of the stream, fat cattle grazing on the rich pasturage, and, perhaps, actually watching you as you land your fish: it may be sport. But catch a similar fish far from the haunts of men, in a boiling rocky torrent surrounded by heathery mountains, where the shadow of a rod has seldom been reflected in the stream, and you cease to think the former fish worth catching; still he is the same size, showed the same courage, had the same perfection of condition, and yet you cannot allow that it was sport compared with this wild stream. If you see no difference in the excitement, you are not a sportsman; you would as soon catch him in a washing tub, and you should buy your fish when you require him; but never use a rod, or you would disgrace the hickory.