Year: 1861




nation of several parties, who were seated
round the convivial board, telling stories, mar
rating adventures, singing songs, and drinking
each others healths.


what will you have, gentlemen ?" inquired
Captain s., a small, wiry man of middle age,
who had seen service in India.


"Oh one of your most thrilling adventures, >
said one of the party :" for surely you must
have had some while stationed in that wild
region, which is said to teen with them"


"Ah! very well, gentlemen; l remember
! one that l think will interest you, and here you
have it. 1t was in the year Is, that Joined
my regiment, as sub, at Bs galore, and not
being used to such climat where the mer.
curry runs up to Ito degree; in the Spring,
with no idea of coming down again till Au-
tumn, l soon found myself n invalid, and al
most cursed the day that had been tempted
to leave cool old England for such a sweltering
country. Some of my friends advised trip to
the Malabar coast; and was nothing 10th to
try any change, believing even the worst
could possibly make must be for the better
So l procured palanquin and eight good
bearers, to take turn about, and set off forth
with through as wild country as ever poor
mortal could wish to see


Nothing remarkable happened until we
entered what is known as the Wynard Jungle;
and if nothing had happened there, should
have been tempted to indct the whole country
as libel on appearances. Such a Jungle as
that may never behold again. Reeds, weeds,
grass, hrambles and bushes were nterlaced
like network beneath gigantic trees of oak.
whose brows interlocked and canopied the
whole, so that in many places the bright sun
shine of Heaven never penetrated to the earth;
and as | was borne along ia my palanquin, on
the broad shoulders of four timid coolies, while
the other four walked leisurely behind, l had
the satisfaction of knowing was in perfect
wilderness, inhabited by wild elephants, wild
boars, tigers, leopards, hyenas, jackals, and any
number of deadly reptiles, and that if we were
attacked by any ierocious beast should prob
ably be deserted on the instant ard left to take
care of myself And then, fancy me at night,
with all these bowling beasts around me, at
tempting to sleep, amid all the poisonous ex-
halations of malarious region, with millions
of mosquitoes, moths and bugs, humming, buz-
zing, and perforating every pore of my body,
and you will form some faint idea of the pleas
ures of a sick mans journey.


"Well, one hot, sultry afternoon, when we
had reached somewhere near the heart of this
jungle, as l was leaning back on the seat of
my palanquiu, and dreamily listening to the
drowsy, monotonous song of my bearers, was
suddenly reused and startled by two or three
hoarse trumpet blasts which proceeded from a
wild elephant, who was crushing through the
jungle at no great distance but, before had
time for word, my attendants dropped me
without ceremony and betook themselves to
fight. l leaped to my feet with a kind of deli
rious strength, and. knowing that there was





maned where l was, plunged into the copse
and ran like a mailman in direction opposite
to the sounds of my advancing foe.


Fortunately for me, l was only few Sec
onds in reaching the foot of large teak tree,
up which l began to climb as only a man may
climb for his life. l heard the monster crush
ing down the bushes, and making the very
earth trembe under his powerful tread and l
went up, up, faster than ever | climbed tree
before, or ever shall again, with every stitch of
clothes upon me completely saturated with
perspiration wrung from me in the agony of
fear-not so much the natural fear Of death it
self, as the instructive fear of such death.


"I think the animal must have turned from
direct course before espying me I; for, though
close upon me, as supposed, when began to
climb, l had succeeded in reaching the first
limb, at least some thirty feet firm the earth,
when he made his appearance at the foot Of
the tree snorting aud believing in the most
terrific manner. Seeing me beyond his reach
he lashed himself into perfect fury, his COM
paratively SMALL plg-like eyes shooting CLEANS
fire as he cast them upward in bis disappointed
rage. Then, laying hold of the tree with his
trunk, he tried his strength in shaking it; but
as it was too heavy for him to endanger my
position by that means, he soon reinquished it
for another. Qnietly stepping back few pa
ces, he measured his ground, and then, with a
sudden bound forward, he struck the tree a
tremendous blow with his head and usks. /
was watching him closely, but only barely COM
pretended his design in time to throw my arms
and legs around limb and brace myself for
tie shock Nor was at all too well prepared;
for the conclusion bruised me not q little, and
it seemed as if a few pounds more of force must
have sent me clean from my perch


" But my enemy was not done yet. Step
ping back aud looking up at me with an ex-
preston that seemed to inquire what thought
of it, at the same time be would assure me Of
its being only the BEGINNING of his battering
operations, he returned to the charge with in
creased vigor. But this time was better pre-
pared for him, and came not so near being un-
seated as on the first trial Nothing discoura-