to endeavour to render an important service to Nepaul, and that I certainly should do so if I succeeded in destroying this elephant.

I immediately undertook the trial, and promised to do my best; but, upon taking leave, the Rajah said: "I am not quite in earnest about that elephant, and would rather you should not go near him; for two years ago, I sent down a couple of guns, six-pounders, to destroy him, but the party, after firing two shots at, and missing, him, had to run for their lives, leaving the two six-pounders which the elephant amused himself by upsetting." I told his Highness that, as the elephant had already destroyed so many human beings (native reports had stated upwards of one hundred, though I considered the number to have been greatly over-rated), I had made up my mind to encounter this animal. The Rajah hereupon appointed two native chiefs, named Sirdar Bowanee Sing, and Sirdar Delhi Sing, the reputed Nimrods of Nepaul, to accompany me. These two chiefs assured the Rajah on taking leave, that if I should not be

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able to destroy the famous "Shikar Bassa Hattee," they would do so: and we shall presently see to what extent these two valiant Sirdars fulfilled their promises. We took our departure the following day, the Sirdars taking with them at least twenty guns each, English and Hindostanee. I had my own usual battery of two double-barrelled rifles, one single rifle, carrying a three ounce ball, and three first-rate double guns. We opened our sporting campaign at Hitounda, the half-way house from Nepaul to the British territory. Many deer, eleven tigers, and seven rhinoceroses, fell to my battery, the two Nepaul chiefs having shown a most religious horror of coming in contact with the last-named formidable animals. The Indian rhinoceros is certainly an ugly customer, evincing a great dislike to being disturbed in his muddy bath. Upon being compelled to move, he at once makes off to another swamp, and, if interfered with on his way, he invariably shows fight, and is not then to be despised; for when he once takes up a position, he will dispute it to

the last with the most determined ferocity,

I was

neither giving nor receiving quarter. much amused, after killing my fifth rhinoceros by being waited upon by the two chiefs in the afternoon, and after the usual compliments, informed by them that they had received an intimation from the Durbar, that the Court was surprised from their own sporting qualifications, they should allow an Englishman to kill so many rhinoceroses in the Terai, without their having destroyed one; and, that if they were either unwilling to attempt, or incapable of achieving such an enterprise, they were immediately to return, to be replaced by other chiefs, who would be more careful not to disgrace themselves as they had done. My chiefs were evidently in a great state of alarm, so I told them, if they felt inclined to distinguish themselves, I would soon procure them a favourable opportunity. They frankly confessed their incapability of profiting by my offers, but earnestly implored me to save their hoormut (honour). To this I acceded, and the next day intelligence

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was brought that there were four rhinoceroses within a mile of us. At their own request, I lent each of the chiefs one of my guns, as they had a firm impression that they were endowed with some kind of jadoo (witchcraft). We soon arrived at the head-quarters of the ghindahs. They were rolling in the mud, in the midst of a heavy swamp; and, finding themselves disturbed in the midst of their luxurious. ablutions, they, as usual, got up, and made for another bath. I immediately intercepted them, and provoked two of the party to hostilities, when down they came to the charge. The brute that rushed at me I killed within six yards of the elephant Megreath, on which I was mounted, and which stood to the charge like a rock. I fortunately hit the rhinoceros in the only vital part, just under the foot of the ear, which is not easily accomplished. The other animal selected my friend Sirdar Delhi Sing's elephant, which immediately turned tail and bolted, but the rhinoceros was too quick for him, came up to the elephant in a few strides,

and with his tusks cut the fugitive so severely on the stern-nearly severing his tail-that he attempted to lie down under the pain. But the rhinoceros was again too quick for him, and bringing his horn into play, he introduced it under the elephant's flank; the horn tightened the skin, and then with his two frightful tusks he cut the poor animal so severely, that his entrails came rolling about his legs, as he fell, undergoing the dreadful assaults of his antagonist. The Sirdar now threw himself out of the howdah, and scrambled up a tree (which was close at hand), like a galvanized monkey. The other Sirdar was going across country, at Melton pace, on his elephant. Having disposed of my rhinoceros, I pushed up to the rescue, fearing, indeed, the Sirdar had been killed. On approaching within twenty yards, the rhinoceros relinquished the fallen elephant, and turned to have a charge at me. I brought him on his knees the first shot, but he recovered, and fought me valiantly; and, in consequence of my elephant being a little unsteady, it was not until