At this moment one of the herd, startled at the near approach of the cavalcade, rose from the stagnant pool, where he had been lying, and presented his immense carcass, covered with mud, to Prose's wondering eyes. "Lord, Molly, what a fish!" exclaimed Courtenay, with affected surprise, alluding to an old standing naval joke. "Now, is that a fish?" cried Prose, a little alarmed. "Well, I do declare! I say, Mr Interpreter, what is that thing?" "Call him buffalo, sar." "Well, I do declare! I always thought that buffaloes were animals that lived on shore." "Nothing like travelling, Mr Prose," observed Courtenay; "you'll know a buffalo, now, if ever you happen to hook one, when you are fishing out of the fore-chains." "And you'll remember a high-caste monkey, if ever you meet with one again," added Seymour. "That I shall, all the days of my life." The country, as they proceeded inland, materially altered its features. Forests of large trees and fragments of rocks met their view, instead of the paddy-fields, which they had left behind; and Macallan now wished to descend, that he might collect geological specimens. Explaining his reasons, he desired the interpreter to order the elephant to stop. "Suppose gentleman want stones, elephant give them," replied the interpreter; "no occasion for Saib to get off;" and explaining the doctor's wishes to the conductor of the elephant, the knowledge of which occasioned a laugh among the natives, who could not conceive why the doctor should want the stones, he continued, "Now, sar, you point any stone you want." The doctor did so; and the conductor, speaking to the elephant, the proboscis of the sagacious animal immediately handed up the one pointed out, to his conductor, who passed it to Macallan. For more than an hour the doctor amused himself with breaking and examining the different specimens presented to him, until he passed by an isolated mass, whose component parts, glittering in the sun, made him anxious to obtain a specimen. It was a large rock, about the size of six elephants, and the doctor pointed to it. "Ah, sar!" interrupted the interpreter; "elephant very strong beast, but no lift that." "I did not imagine that he would, but I must dismount to examine it," replied Macallan, gravely, who was absorbed in his scientific pursuits. The elephant stopped; and the doctor, not aware of the great height, attempted to slip down his side; he succeeded in reaching the ground, not exactly on his feet, to the great amusement of the party. Regardless of trifles, when in pursuit of science, he desired Prose to throw him down his bag of implements, and proceeded to the object of his investigation, which appeared to him so peculiar, that he requested the others to continue their excursion, and leave him to be picked up on their return. "Ah, massa! like stop this place?" said the interpreter. "Yes," replied the doctor. "Do you really intend to remain here?" inquired Courtenay.