Delaware inquirer. (Wilmington, Del.) 1859-18??, 1859-10-01
SATURDAY, OCTOBER |, 1859.

unmercltully with thelr trunks' Nv" 9"N''
thrashings effectually cure the most insuoor-
dnate, and at the expiration OF six weeks, the
once free and Independent denizen of the ior-
est has keeper on his back, and becomes as
quiet as if he had been in a state of subjec-
tion all hs life.
As Chittagong is celebrated for the beauty
and size of its elephants, so is Nepaul cele-
brated for the hardness and ugliness OF her
produce: fatal peculiarity extended TO the
Nepaulese themselves. The full-grown ie-
male elephants seldom exceed seven feet and
a half in height, but the males of forty years
old, at which age they are considered to be
full grown, are fine fellows, averaging from
nine to eleven feet. The elephant whose
death am about to describe was eleven feet
four inches in stature. His head and tusks
are now in possession of the Earl of Derby, at
Knowlsley Park, near Liverpool; and, as his
lordships splendid collection there is open to
the public, any one wishing to satisfy himself
of the Jattering required by an Indian ele-
phant before he bites the dust can inspect the
specimens to which refer. can well remem-
Der that he fought me for two hours before l
killed him, and had not made his acquain-
tance (on foot) ten minutes before repented
of my past folly in confronting him, and
would, If he had allowed me, have most read
lily beaten an ignominious retreat, gladly leav-
ing him even my favorite guns to amuse him
self. During my stay at Nepaul, had upon
various occasions been so fortunate as to Kill
sundry rhinoceroses, tigers, and bears, with
some ease, and during visit OF ceremony 10
the Durbar, (court,) when Mr. Brian Hodg-
son was resident at Nepaul, to whom much
credit is undoubtedly due for his persevering
researches in zoology and ornithology, the ra-
jah asked me at an audience, if thought
should be able to kill wild elephant. an
swered in the affirmative, when he added =
g But | wish you to understand, that the one
| alludo.t to is a fearful shetan (deviD; he has
been musM for many years!" must here
observe, that an elephant when musfh is mad
and while in that state is always avoided, ana
not driven away Gas is generally but errone-
ously supposedly by the rest of the herd, and
is thus consequently compelled to become a
solitary, but very dangerous hermit. His
highness added, that his elephant-catching
had been entirely put stop to by the animal
III question, and that no one dared to go into
that part of the forest in which he took up
his quarters. 1 replied, that in elephant
shooting had acquired but little practical ex-
perience, having at that time killed but one,
an unfortunate wretch, about fifteen years old,
who, either from stupidity or fright, would
not get out of my way, and that Ihad brought
him down with the third shot. The rajah
then said, that as he had given me permission
(which was the first that had been granted to
an English officer) to sport in his forests,
ought to endeavor to render an important SER
vice to Nepaul, and that certainly should do
so if succeeded in destroying this elephant.
Immediately undertook the trial, and prom
ised to do my best but, upon taking leave,
the rajah said "kam not quite in earnest
about that elephant, and would rather you
should not go near him for, two years ago,
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 upset
ting" told his highness that, as the ele-
phant had already destroyed so many human
beings, had made up my mind to encounter
this animal. The rajah hereupon appointed
two native chiefs, named Sirdar Bowanee
Sing, and srdar Delhi Sing, the reputed MIN
rods of Nepaul, to accompahyme. These two
chiefs assured the rajah, on taking leave, that
if | should not be able to destroy the famous
"Shikar Bassa Hattee," they would do
So and we shall presently see to what ex-
tent these two valiant Surdars fulfilled their
promises.
We took our departure the following day,
the Sirdars taking with them at least twenty
guns each, English and Hindostanee. had
my own usual battery Of two double-barrell-
ed rifles, one single rifle, carrying 3-oz. ball,
and three frst-rate double guns. We opened
our sporting campaign at Hitounda, the half
way house from Nepaul to the Critish terrific
ry. Many deer, eleven tigers, and seven rhi-
noceroses, fell to my battery, the two Nepaul
chiefs having shown a most religious horror
of coming in contact with the last-named for
midable animals. The Indian rhinoceros is
certainly an ugly customer, evincing great
dislike to being disturbed in his muddy bath.
Upon being compelled to move, he at once
makes off to another swamp, and, If inter-
fered with on his way, he invariably shows
fight, and is not then to be despised for when
he once takes up position, he will dispute it
to the last with the most determined ferocity,
neither giving nor receiving quarter. | was
much amused, after killing my fifth rhinoce-
ros, by being waited upon by the two chiefs
in the afternoon, and after the usual compli-
ments, informed by them that they had re-
ceived orders from the Durbar, to the effect
that the court was surprised, from their own
sporting qualifications, that they should allow
an Englis hman, in their own country, to kill
SO many rhinoceroses, without their having
destroyed one and that, if they were either
unwilling to attempt, or incapable OF achiev-
ing, such an enterprise, they were Immediately
to return, to be replaced by other chiefs, who
would be more careful not to disgrace them.
selves as they had done.
My chiefs were evidently in great state
of alarm, so told them, if they felt inclined
to distinguish themselves would soon pro
cure them favorable opportunity. They
Al.