The Rifle And The Hound In Ceylon(Fiscle Part-3) by Sir Samuel White Baker (reading books for 4 year olds txt) 📖

Trees For

Some Hundred Yards,  Except The Jungle From Which He Was Advancing At A

Frightful Speed. An Indiscriminate Flight Of Course Took Place,  And A

Race Of Terror Commenced. In A Few Seconds The Monster Was Among Them,

And,  Seizing A Young Girl In His Trunk,  He Held Her High In The Air,  And

Halted,  As Though Uncertain How To Dispose Of His Helpless Victim. The

Girl,  Meanwhile,  Was Vainly Shrieking For Assistance,  And The Petrified

Troop Of Women,  Having Gained The Shelter Of Some Jungle,  Gazed

Panic-Stricken Upon The Impending Fate Of Their Companion.

 

`To Their Horror The Elephant Slowly Lowered Her In His Trunk Till Near

The Ground,  When He Gradually Again Raised Her,  And,  Bringing Her Head

Into His Mouth,  A Report Was Heard Like The Crack Of A Whip--It Was The

Sudden Crushing Of Her Skull. Tearing The Head Off By The Neck,  He

Devoured It; And,  Placing His Forefoot Upon The Body,  He Tore The Arms

And Legs From Their Sockets With His Trunk,  And Devoured Every Portion

Of Her.

 

`The Women Rushed To The Village With The News Of This Unnatural

Carnage.

 

`Doolana And The Neighbourhood Has Always Been Famous For Its

Elephant-Hunters,  And The Husband Of This Unfortunate Girl Was One Of

The Most Active In Their Pursuit. The Animals Are Caught In This Country

And Sold To The Arabs,  For The Use Of The Indian Government.

 

Part 3 Chapter 5 Pg 41

`The News Of This Bloody Deed Flew From Village To Village; War To The

Knife Was Declared Against The Perpetrator,  And Preparations Were

Accordingly Made.

 

`Since The Murder Of This Girl He Had Taken Up His Abode In A Small

Isolated Jungle Adjoining,  Surrounded By A Small Open Plain Of Fine Soft

Grass,  Upon A Level Sandy Soil.

 

`A Few Days After This Act,  A Hundred Men Assembled At Doolana,

Determined Upon His Destruction. They Were All Picked

Elephant-Hunters--Moormen; Active And Sinewy Fellows,  Accustomed To

Danger From Their Childhood. Some Were Armed With Axes,  Sharpened To The

Keenest Edge,  Some With Long Spears,  And Others With Regular Elephant

Ropes,  Formed Of The Thongs Of Raw Deer's Hide,  Beautifully Twisted.

Each Division Of Men Had A Separate Duty Allotted.

 

`They Marched Towards The Small Jungle In Which The Rogue Was Known To

Be; But He Anticipated Their Wishes,  And Before They Were Within A

Hundred Paces Of His Lair,  He Charged Furiously Out. The Conflict Began

In Good Earnest. The Spearmen Were In Advance,  And The Axemen Were

Divided Into Two Parties,  One On Either Flank,  With An Equal Number Of

Ropemen. The Instant That He Charged The Whole Body Of Men Ran Forward

At Full Speed To Meet Him; Still He Continued His Furious Onset,

Undismayed By The Yells Of A Hundred Men. The Spearmen Halted When

Within Twenty Yards,  Then Turned And Fled; This Had Been Agreed Upon

Beforehand. The Elephant Passed The Two Flanks Of Axemen In Pursuit Of

The Flying Enemy; The Axemen Immediately Closed In Behind Him,  Led By

The Husband Of The Murdered Girl. By A Well-Directed Blow Upon The Hind

Leg,  Full Of Revenge,  This Active Fellow Divided The Sinew In The First

Joint Above The Foot.* (*Since This Was Written I Have Seen The African

Elephant Disabled By One Blow Of A Sharp Sword As Described In The "Nile

Tributaries Of Abyssinia.") That Instant The Elephant Fell Upon His

Knees,  But Recovered Himself Directly,  And Endeavoured To Turn Upon His

Pursuers; A Dozen Axes Flashed In The Sunbeams,  As The Strokes Were

Aimed At The Other Hind Leg. It Was The Work Of An Instant: The Massive

Limb Bent Powerless Under Him,  And He Fell In A Sitting Posture,  Utterly

Helpless,  But Roaring With Mad And Impotent Fury. The Ropemen Now Threw

Nooses Over His Trunk And Head; His Struggles,  Although Tremendous,  Were

In Vain; Fifty Men,  Hanging Their Weight Upon Several Ropes Attached To

His Trunk,  Rendered That Dreaded Weapon Powerless. The Sharp Lances Were

Repeatedly Driven Into His Side,  And Several Of The Boldest Hunters

Climbing Up The Steep Ascent Of His Back,  An Axe Was Seen To Fall

Swiftly And Repeatedly Upon His Spine,  On The Nape Of His Tough Neck.

The Giant Form Suddenly Sank; The Spine Was Divided,  And The Avenging

Blow Was Dealt By The Husband Of His Late Victim. The Destroyer Was No

More. The Victory Was Gained Without The Loss Of A Man.'

 

The Natives Said That This Elephant Was Mad; If So It May Account In

Some Measure For The Unheard-Of Occurrence Of An Elephant Devouring

Flesh. Both Elephants And Buffaloes Attack Man From Malice Alone,

Without The Slightest Idea Of Making A Meal Of Him. This Portion Of The

Headman's Story I Cannot Possibly Believe,  Although He Swears To It. The

Elephant May,  Perhaps,  Have Cracked Her Head And Torn His Victim To

Pieces In The Manner Described,  But The Actual 'Eating' Is Incredible.

 

Part 3 Chapter 6 Pg 42

 

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 Bedfellow.

 

Doolana Is Upon The Very Verge Of The Most Northern Point Of The Veddah

Country,  The Whole Of Which Wild District Is The Finest Part Of Ceylon

For Sport. Even To This Day Few Europeans Have Hunted These Secluded

Wilds. The Wandering Veddah,  With His Bow And Arrows,  Is Occasionally

Seen Roaming Through His Wilderness In Search Of Deer,  But The Report Of

A Native's Gun Is Never Heard; The Game Is Therefore Comparatively

Undisturbed. I Have Visited Every Portion Of This Fine Sporting Country,

And Since I Have Acquired The Thorough Knowledge Of Its Attractions,  I

Have Made Up My Mind Never To Shoot Anywhere But There. The Country Is

More Open Than In Most Parts Of Ceylon,  And The Perfect Wildness Of The

Whole District Is An Additional Charm.

 

The Dimensions Of The Veddah Country Are About Eighty Miles From North

To South,  By Forty In Width. A Fine Mountain,  Known As The 'Gunner's

Coin,' Is An Unmistakable Landmark Upon The Northern Boundary. From This

Point A Person May Ride For Forty Miles Without Seeing A Sign Of A

Habitation; The Whole Country Is Perfectly Uncivilised,  And Its Scanty

Occupants,  The 'Veddahs,' Wander About Like Animals,  Without Either

Home,  Laws,  Or Religion.

 

I Have Frequently Read Absurd Descriptions Of Their Manners And Customs,

Which Must Evidently Have Been Gathered From Hearsay,  And Not From A

Knowledge Of The People. It Is A Commonly Believed Report That The

Veddahs 'Live In The Trees,' And A Stranger Immediately Confuses Them

With Rooks And Monkeys. Whoever First Saw Veddah Huts In The Trees Would

Have Discovered,  Upon Enquiry,  That They Were Temporary Watch-Houses,

From Which They Guard A Little Plot Of Korrakan From The Attacks Of

Elephants And Other Wild Beasts. Far From Living In The Trees,  They Live

Nowhere; They Wander Over The Face Of Their Beautiful Country,  And

Migrate To Different Parts At Different Seasons,  With The Game Which

They Are Always Pursuing. The Seasons In Ceylon Vary In An Extraordinary

Manner,  Considering The Small Size Of The Island. The Wet Season In One

District Is The Dry Season In Another,  And Vice Versa. Wherever The Dry

Weather Prevails,  The Pasturage Is Dried Up; The Brooks And Pools Are

Mere Sandy Gullies And Pits. The Veddah Watches At Some Solitary Hole

Which Still Contains A Little Water,  And To This The Deer And Every

Part 3 Chapter 6 Pg 43

Species Of Ceylon Game Resort. Here His Broad-Headed Arrow Finds A

Supply. He Dries The Meat In Long Strips In The Sun,  And Cleaning Out

Some Hollow Tree,  He Packs Away His Savoury Mass Of Sun-Cooked Flesh,

And Fills Up The Reservoir With Wild Honey; He Then Stops Up The

Aperture With Clay.

 

The Last Drop Of Water Evaporates,  The Deer Leave The Country And

Migrate Into Other Parts Where Mountains Attract The Rain And The

Pasturage Is Abundant. The Veddah Burns The Parched Grass Wherever He

Passes,  And The Country Is Soon A Blackened Surface--Not A Blade Of

Pasture Remains; But The Act Of Burning Ensures A Sweet Supply Shortly

After The Rains Commence,  To Which The Game And The Veddahs Will Then

Return. In The Meantime He Follows The Game To Other Districts,  Living

In Caves Where They Happen To Abound,  Or Making A Temporary But With

Grass And Sticks.

 

Every Deer-Path,  Every Rock,  Every Peculiar Feature In The Country,

Every Pool Of Water,  Is Known To These Hunting Veddahs; They Are

Consequently The Best Assistants In The World In Elephant-Hunting. They

Will Run At Top Speed Over Hard Ground Upon An Elephant's Track Which Is

Barely Discernible Even To The Practised Eye Of A White Man.

Fortunately,  The Number Of These People Is Very Trifling Or The Game

Would Be Scarce.

 

They Hunt Like The Leopard; Noiselessly Stalking Till Within Ten Paces

Of Their Game,  They Let The Broad Arrow Fly. At This Distance Who Could

Miss? Should The Game Be Simply Wounded,  It Is Quite Enough; They Never

Lose Him,  But Hunt Him Up,  Like Hounds Upon A Blood Track.

 

Nevertheless,  They Are Very Bad Shots With The Bow And Arrow,  And They

Never Can Improve While They Restrict Their Practice To Such Short

Ranges.

 

I Have Often Tried Them At A Mark At Sixty Yards,  And,  Although A Very

Bad Hand With A Bow Myself,  I Have Invariably Beaten Them With Their Own

Weapons. These Bows Are Six Feet Long,  Made Of A Light Supple Wood,  And

The Strings Are Made Of The Fibrous Bark Of A Tree Greased And Twisted.

The Arrows Are Three Feet Long,  Formed Of The Same Wood As The Bows. The

Blades Are Themselves Seven Inches Of This Length,  And Are Flat,  Like

The Blade Of A Dinner-Knife Brought To A Point. Three Short Feathers

From The Peacock's Wing Are Roughly Lashed To The Other End Of The

Arrow.

 

The Veddah In Person Is Extremely Ugly; Short,  But Sinewy,  His Long

Uncombed Locks Fall To His Waist,  Looking More Like A Horse's Tail Than

Human Hair. He Despises Money,  But Is Thankful For A Knife,  A Hatchet,

Or A Gaudy-Coloured Cloth,  Or Brass Pot For Cooking.

 

The Women Are Horribly Ugly And Are Almost Entirely Naked. They Have No

Matrimonial Regulations,  And The Children Are Squalid And Miserable.

Still These People Are Perfectly Happy,  And Would Prefer Their Present

Wandering Life To The Most Luxurious Restraint. Speaking A Language Of

Their Own,  With Habits Akin To Those Of Wild