This had the desired effect; he turned slowly round, and I shot him immediately.

This was one of the Monampitya tank rogues, but in his muddy position he had no chance.
The largest elephant that I have ever seen was in this neighbourhood.

I had arrived one afternoon at about five o'clock in a fine plain, about twelve miles from Monampitya, where the presence of a beautiful lake and high grass promised an abundance of game.

It was a most secluded spot, and my tent and coolies being well up with my horse, I fixed upon a shady nook for the tent, and I strolled out to look for the tracks while it was being pitched.
A long promontory stretched some hundred yards into the lake, exactly opposite the spot I had fixed upon for the encampment, and, knowing that elephants when bathing generally land upon the nearest shore, I walked out towards the point of this projecting neck of land.
The weather was very dry, and the ground was a mass of little pitfalls, about two feet deep, which had been made by the feet of the elephants in the wet weather, when this spot was soft mud and evidently the favourite resort of the heavy game.

The ground was now baked by the sun as hard as though it were frozen, and the numerous deep ruts made walking very difficult.