ily be still worse in their
raw state; and it struck me, after their effects became known, that I
had never seen them grubbed up by the wild hogs; this neglect being a
sure proof of their unfitness for food.

In these Augora patinas a curious duel was lately fought by a pair of
wild bull elephants, both of whom were the raree aves of Ceylon,
"tuskers." These two bulls had consorted with a herd, and had no doubt
quarreled about the possession of the females. They accordingly fought
it out to the death, as a large tusker was found recently killed, with
his body bored in many directions by his adversary's tusks, the ground
in the vicinity being trodden down with elephant tracks proving the
obstinacy of the fight.

The last time that I was in this locality poor old Bluebeard was alive,
and had been performing feats in elk-hunting which no dog could
surpass. A few weeks later and he ran his last elk, and left a sad
blank in the pack.

Good and bad luck generally come in turn; but when the latter does pay
a visit, it falls rather heavily, especially among the hounds. In one
year I lost nearly the whole pack. Seven died in one week from an
attack upon the brain, appearing in a form fortunately unknown in
England. In the same year I lost no less than four of the best hounds
by leopards, in addition to a fearful amount of casualties from other
causes.

Shortly after the appearance of the epidemic alluded to, I took the
hounds to the Totapella Plains for a fortnight, for chance of air,
while their kennel was purified and re-whitewashed.

In these Totapella Plains I had a fixed encampment, which, being within
nine miles of my house, I could visit at any time with the hounds,
without the slightest preparation. There was an immense number of elk
in this part of the country; in fact this was a great drawback to the
hunting, as two or more were constantly on foot at the same time, which
divided the hounds and scattered them in all directions. This made
hard work of the sport, as this locality is nothing but a series of ups
and downs. The plains, as they are termed, are composed of some
hundred grassy hills, of about a hundred feet elevation above the
river; these rise like half oranges in every direction, while a high
chain of precipitous mountains walls in one side of the view.
Forest-covered hills abound in the centre and around the skirts of the
plains, while a deep river winds in a circuitous route between the
grass