ally will often even pull down huts or
cottages, and do all sorts of mischief, apparently from mere wantonness.
Elephants live on the leaves of all sorts of trees, as well as grass,
and grain, and fruits. They especially like the cocoa-nut. Stripping
off the fibre, they crush the shell with their tusks, and let the juice
trickle down their throats. The position of the trunk is very graceful
when they feed themselves; as it is also when they hold a branch and fan
off the flies from their backs. I forgot to say that, though they often
lie down, they are frequently found asleep leaning against a tree or a
rock, and often in captivity stand on their feet for months together
without ever lying down. However, I might go on, I find, recounting the
curious circumstances about elephants till I had filled my journal; and
I must therefore continue without further interruption an account of our
journey.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN.

SINGHALESE TORCHES--CHEWING ARECA-NUT--THE VEDDAHS--DEVIL-DANCERS--CHENA
CULTIVATIONS--A ROGUE ELEPHANT--EAT SNAKE--MY FIRST ELEPHANT HUNT--
HORRIBLE SITUATION--NEARLY KILLED BY AN ELEPHANT--PROVIDENTIAL ESCAPE.

On leaving the scene of the great elephant hunt I described in my last
chapter, we turned our faces once more towards the region of the
northern coffee estates.

Mr Fordyce then told me that he had dispatched a messenger to inquire
whether Mr Coventry was residing on his property, and if not, where he
was to be found. Before we had proceeded far we met the messenger, who
brought word that Mr Coventry, and a young gentleman who was staying
with him, had set off a short time before for Trincomalee, where they
probably now were.

"Then to Trincomalee we will go," exclaimed Mr Fordyce. "We will run
our fox to earth, at all events, provided he does not take to the water
and swim away."

"Then I, however, must follow wherever he goes," I observed. "I feel
sure Alfred is with him; and yet I cannot account for his not having
written home. Oh, how I long to find him, poor fellow!"

I could not help fancying that Mr Fordyce, kind and liberal as he was
to me, did not quite enter into my feelings about finding Alfred.
Perhaps, through my impatience, I did him injustice. I thanked him most
cordially for his kindness; for I felt that, at all events, if left to
my own resources I should have been utterly unable to follow my
grandfather from place to place as I was now doing.

Again we plunged in