them. The following day, however, I experienced rather a damper on my enthusiasm, but though neither killed nor injured, (indeed it would be difficult to have been one without the other), I went through all the not-very-delectable feelings of expecting momentarily to undergo that process in no very agreeable manner, which I will narrate presently. While we waited to take breathing time, the natives were eagerly employing themselves in cutting off the extremities of the dead animals' tails, at least from such as had any, for a very common disease amongst them frequently causes them to lose part or the whole of that appendage, those that possess them, however, are immediately stripped of them when killed, as it forms the trophy of the slayer, in the same manner as does a scalp from that of the Indian warrior. The tails resemble those of cows, reaching down to the heels, with a thick tuft of bristles at the extremity-these bristles are black as jet, and take a beautiful polish; in consequence of which, some ingenious sportsman has put them to the purpose of making ladies' bracelets, and very beautiful ornaments, when set in gold, do they make. Could they speak under such circumstances, they might exclaim, in contradiction to Hamlet, «To what gay uses do we come at last, Horatio. »

Whilst this operation was being performed, we returned to look into the kraal, where all the animals had by this time been fastened together, and were beginning to take the thing more coolly and philosophically; but nevertheless were very far from being at their ease. Amongst all the elephants entrapped and killed, not one with tusks was included-they are very scarce in Ceylon; people differ as to the proportion of tuskers to the tuskless, but from my own experience, I should say, they were about one in two thousand; the tusks, however, are useful, but to get them it is necessary to wait until the head falls to pieces from decay, they are then converted into handles for dessert-knives, snuff-boxes, and innumerable knick-knacks; but a pair of tusks will furnish a man with a sixty-guinea fowling-piece! They are considered by the animals themselves as a great beauty; should a tusker be in a herd, and any danger apprehended by them. he is instantly placed in the centre, and surrounded; the others serv

"

ing as body-guards, until they are each and all shot down, with a determination and fidelity that even men might take a lesson from. On the present occasion of leaving off work, » we found ourselves in the possession of about ninety captives in the kraal-twenty-seven had fallen on the battle-field, and the number of wounded was unknown; it must, however, have been terrible, for I fired about thirty rounds myself, and I do not think I am a sufficiently bad shot to miss an elephant entirely.

The elephants had now become too scattered to expect any more sport that day; and as there were other herds in the neighbourhood, we suspended hostilities until the morrowand returned to the village, where the Adigar had billeted us, and found a magnificent spread,» according to Cingelese notions, awaiting us. We had, however, brought our own commissariat, and it was fortunate we did so, for I hardly think the old gentleman's fare of bananas, pine-apples, cocoanuts, and new milk, would have been quite substantial enough for such appetites as ours.

The following morning was as fine as its predecessor; and having had a more comfortable bed than a stall in a stable, and not so uncomfortable a companion as a tattoo pony, we sallied forth in better spirits, and in hopes of mighty slaughter. The ladies, and a few of the gentlemen who were fatigued with the exertion of the day before, staying at home to attend to the culinary department, or pick up leaves and catch butterflies to keep as reminiscences of their two days' sojourn in the Jungle of Mahawelléganga.

Our party on this occasion was composed of fifteen, and even that was too large to be agreeable-four being the most suitable number; being enough for each other's protection, and not liable to get into each other's way. The beaters, who had been sent out to watch the animals, met us setting out, and told us of their whereabouts, so no time was lost in searching for them. The plan of attack was to be precisely similar to that of the day before, one party attacking them in flank, and another in front. This was soon put into execution, and on the first volley from the flanking party, they came at us full tilt. I was on this occasion also

waiting for them on the plain, with seven or eight others. The enemy mustered about forty strong, aud, having paused a moment to take breath, they charged us beautifully. At the usual distance, about twelve yards, they took our fire, and still on they came. There was no turning them this time. They remembered where they received their first fire, and were determined not to hazard it again. Down on your faces at once, or you are killed, shouted out the most experienced amongst us, and down we dropped like logs, to await the issue. That moment seemed an hour-nearer and nearer we heard their tread approaching us. One foot placed upon us would have annihilated us immediately. I felt almost suffocated, as I plainly could feel the earth shake close to mein an instant they were on us-and in the next they had passed. This was not the work of three seconds altogether, yet I scarcely remember an hour to have remained so long on my senses. Not one of the party, wonderful to relate, was injured in any degree, although it unnerved a few for further operations. I doubt if I could have held my gun sufficiently steady even to hit an elephant after it for some minutes. At least thirty brutes had passed over our bodies, as we lay scattered on the earth; and I can attribute our preservation to nothing else than the fact that the elephant being well known to be very blind when charging, must have just seen us sufficiently to have mistaken us for logs of wood, which they would naturally endeavour to step over. Our critical situation was perceived by the other party, but they could do nothing to assist us. The danger once over, however, we laughed at it, and braced our nerves with a lengthened pull at the brandy paunée bottle, which had also a great effect in exciting us to revenge, for which the enemy paid pretty dearly shortly afterwards; for before the sun had reached the meridian, twentyseven out of, I believe, the identical thirty that passed over us, bit the dust-three of which fell to my share; and having thus asserted our supremacy in the jungle, we returned to the village, from whence we departed the next morning to our separate duties and dwellings, and all was peace again. » (SPORTING MAGAZINE.)

THE GRIMSBY GHOST.

CHAP. I.

In the town of Grimsby-

But stop, says the Courteous and Prudent Reader, there any such things as Ghosts ? »

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"are

Any Ghostesses! » cries Superstition, who settled long since in the country, near a churchyard, on a rising ground, any Ghostesses! Ay, man lots on 'em! bushels on 'em! Why, there's one as walks in our parish, reg'lar as the clock strikes twelve-and always the same round-over church-stile, round the corner, through the gap, into Short's Spinney, and so along into our close, where he takes a drink at the pump,for ye see he died in liquor,-and then arter he 's squentched hisself wanishes into waper. Then there's the ghost of old Beales, as goes o' nights and sews tares in his neighbour's wheats-I've often seed un in seed time. They do say that Black Ben, the Poacher, have riz, and what's more, walked slap through all the Squire's steel-traps without springin on 'em. And then there's Bet Hawkey as murdered her own hinfant-only the poor babby hadn't larned to walk, and so can't appear agin her. »

But not to refer only to the ignorant and illiterate vulgar, there are units, tens, hundreds, thousands of wellbred and educated persons, Divines, Lawyers, military, and especially

VOL. III.

54

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naval officers, Artists, Authors, Players, Schoolmasters and Governesses, and fine ladies, who secretly believe that the dead are on visiting terms with the living-nay, the great Doctor Johnson himself, affirmed solemnly that he had a call from his late mother, who had been buried many years. Ask at the right time, and in the right manner

a

- only affect a belief, though you have it not so that the party may feel assured of sympathy and insured against ridicule, and ninetenths of mankind will confess a faith in Apparitions. It is in truth an article in the creed of our natural religion corollary of the recognition of the immortality of the soul. The presence of spirits-visible or invisible-is an innate idea, as exemplified by the instinctive night terror of infancy, and recently so touchingly illustrated by the evidence of the poor little colliery-girl, who declared that she sang, whiles, at her subterranean task, but never when she was alone in the dark. »

:

It is from this cause that the Poems and Ballads on spectral subjects have derived their popularity for instance, Margaret's Ghost-Mary's Dream-and the Ghost of Admiral Hosier -not to forget the Drama, with that awful Phantom in .Hamlet, whose word, in favour of the Supernatural, we all feel to be worth a thousand pound. »

»And then the Spectre in Don Giovanni?' »

No. That Marble Walker, with his audible tramp, tramp, tramp, on the staircase, is too substantial for my theory. It was a Ghost invented expressly for the Materialists; but is as inadmissible amongst genuine Spirits as that wooden one described by old W. the ship-owner-namely, the figure-head of the Britannia, which appeared to him, he declared, on the very night that she found a watery grave off Cape Cod. Well-after that go on. »

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CHAP. II.

In the town of Grimsby, at the corner of Swivel-street, there is a litle chandler's-shop, which was kept for many years by a widow of the name of Mullins. She was a care