The country was park-like, but surrounded upon its borders with thick jungles; clumps of thorny bushes were scattered here and there, and an abundance of good grass land water ensured a large quantity of game.

The elephants were evidently not far off, and of course were well secured in the thorny jungles.
Wortley had never yet seen a wild elephant, and a dense jungle is by no means a desirable place for an introduction to this kind of game.

It is a rule of mine never to follow elephants in such ground, where they generally have it all their own way; but, as there are exceptions to all rules, we determined to find them, after having taken so much trouble in making our arrangements.
We unsaddled, and ordered breakfast to be ready for our return beneath one of the most shady trees; having loaded, we started off upon the tracks.

As I had expected, they led to a thick thorny jungle, and slowly and cautiously we followed the leading tracker.

The jungle became worse and worse as we advanced, and had it not been for the path which the elephants had formed, we could not have moved an inch.