On retiring from the table, as we sat pretending to enjoy the music, the Secretary brought a letter to the Admiral, written in Tamil characters. Interpretation as follows: “TO HIS EXCELLENCY’S REAR-ADMIRAL, SIR E. W. OWEN, K.C.B., COMMANDER OF HIS MAJESTY’S NAVY AND EAST INDIA’S SEAS. “_The Humble Petition of Conanyaga Modr Tillenadin_ “MOST HUMBLY SHEWETH, “That the petitioner most humbly and submissively begs leave to acquaint Your Excellency that on Thursday, March 15, 1832, about ten o’clock at night, three gentlemen of the ship _Magicienne_ came hunting in the China village, and adjoining a pâdi-field the petitioner’s buffaloes were grazing, the buffaloes never being accustomed to be confined or be tied up to a stick in the night-time. The said gentlemen shot petitioner’s three buffaloes, which died that night. Two measures of milk daily was received from one. One she-buffalo was big, and another has a calf of one month old, which is alive now, but will not live long for want of the mother. “Therefore petitioner most submissively prays Your Excellency will be graciously pleased to favour the petitioner by having justice done to him. The cattle valued is the lowest at the sum of six pounds. “For which act of favouring the petitioner is in duty bound. “(Signed) “TRINCOMALEE, “_March 16, 1832_.” I had the account settled, but my firm belief is that the writer of the petition and our guide were one and the same person. [Sidenote: Mar. 29.] Arrived _Comet_, 18, Commander A. A. Sandilands. _Imogene_, 28, Captain Price Blackwood. [Sidenote: April 12.] _Alligator_, 28, Captain G. R. Lambert. [Sidenote: April 17.] My first night’s supper at Holyoake’s quarters was an introduction to these kind Highlanders. Captain Forbes appeared to have had several elephant-shooting parties. Holyoake had been in more than one, with some narrow escapes. But now he was all for smaller game. Snipe-shooting in India is an attractive sport, but after sunrise birds lie closer, while you are the less inclined to retire to your comfortable rest-house. As the ground was distant seventeen miles, eleven of which lay through dense jungle, we were off before daylight, and arrived in good time, enjoying such sport as is found nowhere except in the Far East, returning to a breakfast of curry and rice, tobacco, etc. “Sport” not being in my Captain’s dictionary, it was necessary to renew my leave, which, being confined to four-and-twenty hours, obliged me to return to the ship. Having observed as we came fresh tracks of elephants, I made anxious inquiries as to what I should do if I came across one. My anxiety was laughed at. I was assured that the only danger lay in meeting a male detached from the herd.