distance, it not being safe to let him approach too near, as he seemed to
be under the delusion that every elephant he saw still required to be
caught. Each mahout now brought forward the prizes he had captured since
the commencement of the year, and they were severally inspected: those
which had no tufts of hair at the tips of their tails, or were in any way
deformed, were put aside to be sold to unwary purchasers in India; while
those approved by his Excellency were reserved for the use of government,
or, to speak in plainer language, for his shooting parties.

As I do not know the points of an elephant as well as those of a horse,
the want of the tuft was the only mark I could distinguish. However, the
science of elephant-flesh seemed to be as deep and full of mysteries as
that of horse-flesh.

Having finished our inspection, and the pay of an unsuccessful mahout or
two having been stopped, Jung entered into a long disquisition upon the
subject of the wild sports of the Terai. He told us, amongst other
things, that he had forbidden all deer-shooting here, although the
revenue to Government upon the skins amounted to 400 or 500 pounds a
year, in order that he might enjoy better shooting. Of course, we
praised the love of sport which could prompt such an order, and said
nothing of the love of country which might perhaps have prevented it. I
was often struck by the despotic tone which the prime minister assumed,
and it only confirmed my previous opinion as to his substantially
possessing the sovereign power.

We killed five or six more deer and pigs before quitting Bisoleah on the
following day, our road to Bechiacor leading us through the great forest,
at this season perfectly healthy. We found our camp pitched in the broad
dry bed of a mountain torrent, which I observed to be filled with