Two
natives stood there, dripping with wet and shivering with cold. One had
in his hand an elk's head, much gnawed; the other man, to my delight,
led the three lost dogs. They had run their elk down, and were found by
the side of a rocky river several miles distant--the two dogs asleep in
a cave, and the bitch was gnawing the remains of the half-consumed
animal. The two men who had found them were soon squatted before a
comfortable fire, with a good feed of curry and rice, and their skins
full of brandy.
Although the elk are so numerous at the Horton Plains, the sport at
length becomes monotonous from the very large proportion of the does.
The usual ratio in which they were killed was one buck to eight does. I
cannot at all account for this small proportion of bucks in this
particular spot. At Newera Ellia they are as two or three compared with
the does. The following extract of deaths, taken from my game-book
during three months of the year, will give a tolerably accurate idea of
the number killed:
1852.
March 24. Doe . . Killed in the Elk Plains.
30. Two Does . Killed in Newera Ellia Plain.
April 3. Doe . . Killed at the foot of Hack Galla.
5. Buck . . Killed at the foot of Pedro.
8. Doe . . Killed at the top of the Pass.
13. Buck . . Killed at the foot of the Pass.
16. Buck . . Killed in the river at the Pass.
19. Doe . . Killed on the patinas on Badulla road.
21. Buck . . Killed in the river at the base of Pedro.
23. Buck . . Killed in Matturatta Plain.
25. Doe . . Killed in the Elk Plains.
25. Sow . . Killed in the Elk Plains.
27. Boar . . Killed at the Limestone Quarry.
May 3. Sow . . Killed in the Elk Plains.
6. Two Does . Killed in the Barrack Plain.
10. Two Does . One killed in the Barrack Plain, and
the other at the bottom of the Pass.
12. Buck . . Killed in Newera Ellia Plain.
19. Buck . . Killed in the Newera Ellia River.
22. Doe . . Killed at the Pioneer Lines-Laboukelle.
31. Two does . Killed in the Barrack Plain.
June 5. Buck . . Killed at the foot of Pedro.
8. Buck . . Killed in the Barrack Plain.
11. Two Bucks . Killed on Kicklamane Patina.
24. Two Does . Killed on Newera Ellia Plain.
28. Boar . . Killed on Elk Plains.
29. Doe . . Killed at the ` Rest and be Thankful bottom
Total--28 Elk (11 Bucks, 17 Does), and 4 Hogs.
This is a tolerable show of game when it is considered that the sport
continues from year to year; there are no seasons at which time the game
is spared, but the hunting depends simply on the weather. Three times a
week the pack turns out in the dry season, and upon every fine day
during the wet months.
