The lake was
about five miles round, and was quite full of water, the surface
of which was covered with a scant, but tall, rushy grass.
In the
lake, browsing upon the grass, we counted twenty-three elephants,
and there were many little ones, no doubt, that we could not
distinguish in such rank vegetation. Five large elephants were
not more than a hundred and twenty paces distant; the remaining
eighteen were in a long line about a quarter of a mile from the
shore, feeding in deep water.
We were well concealed by the various trees which grew upon the
dam, and we passed half an hour in watching the manoeuvres of the
great beasts as they bathed and sported in the cool water.
However, this was not elephant-shooting, and the question was,
how to get at them? The natives had no idea of the sport, as
they seemed to think it very odd that we did not fire at those
within a hundred paces' distance. I now regretted my absent
gun-bearers, as I plainly saw that these village people would be
worse than useless.
We determined to take a stroll along the base of the dam to
reconnoitre the ground, as at present it seemed impossible to
make an attack; and even were the elephants within the forest,
there appeared to be no possibility of following them up through
such deep water and heavy ground with any chance of success.
however, they were not in the forest, being safe, belly and
shoulder deep, in the tank.
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