Claudius Buchanan travelled on elephants

‘’The following quotations are from The Claudians: gardens, landscapes, reason and faith: John Claudius Loudon and Claudius Buchanan, Tom Turner (Kindle, 2024).

'I arrived here the day before yesterday in good health and fine spirits. My tents were first hoisted on the backs of elephants, belonging to a Hindoo Rajah, in my journey to the south. I ought always to speak well of the Hindoo people.'

...'The commanding officer here has given me a  guard of seven seapoys all the way to Cuttack,  which is seven days' march. I passed through a jungle where tigers abound. One sprung on a  large bullock last week, but he could not carry him off, and the bullock escaped. The hunter shewed me their manner of shooting tigers with arrows.'

'I leave this place to-morrow; and on the 4th of June I expect to be at Cuttack. Juggernaut is only three or four days from thence.'

'I find it inconvenient to have many followers.  I have therefore discharged some servants from this place, and also a supernumerary tent. I have but few wants on a march as to eating and drinking; and I cannot be troubled with tablecloths.  I enjoy refreshing tea after my ride in the morning; for I generally ride one half of the march on " horseback, and sometimes on an elephant. I occasionally use my gun, at which I was formerly as expert as any of the writers. But I feel a repugnance in killing harmless animals which I did not feel formerly. Tell H. that during the two last days' march, I saw beautiful peacocks sitting on the lofty trees by the road side, and monkies  leaping from branch to branch holding their young ones in their arms.'