ant had been in a great state of alarm, as he thought his
master would have been devoured in a few seconds; but the natives of
the village quietly told me not to be afraid, but to bathe in peace, 'as
sharks would not eat men at this season.' I was not disposed to put
his epicurean scruples to the test; as some persons may kill a pheasant
before the first of October, so he might have made a grab at me a little
before the season, which would have been equally disagreeable to my
feelings. The novelty of a white skin in that clear river might have
proved too strong a temptation for a shark to withstand.

I never saw game in such masses as had now collected in this
neighbourhood. The heat was intense, and the noble forest in the
vicinity of Yalle river offered an asylum to all animals beneath its
shade, where good water and fine grass upon the river's bank supplied
their wants. In this forest there was little or no underwood; the trees
grew to an immense size and stood far apart, so that a clear range might
be obtained for a hundred yards. It was, therefore, a perfect spot for
deer-stalking; the tops of trees formed an impervious screen to the
sun's rays; and I passed several days in wandering with my rifle through
these shady solitudes, killing an immense quantity of game. The deer
were in such masses that I restricted myself to bucks, and I at length
became completely satiated. There was too much game; during the whole
day's walk I was certainly not FIVE MINUTES without seeing either deer,
elk, buffaloes, or hogs. The noise of the rifle did not appear to scare
them from the forest; they would simply retreat for a time to some other
portion of it, and fresh herds were met with in following up one which
had been disturbed. Still, there were no elephants. Although I had
upwards of fifty coolies and servants, they could not dry the venison
sufficiently fast to prevent the deer from stinking as they were killed,
and I resolved to leave the country.

I gave orders for everything to be packed up in readiness for a start,
after an early breakfast, on the following morning. The servants
were engaged in arranging for the departure, when a native brought
intelligence of a rogue elephant within four miles of the tent. It was
late in the afternoon, but I had not seen an elephant for so long that
I was determined to make his acquaintance. My friend B. accompanied me,
and we immediately started on horseback.

Our route lay across very