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Aleister Crowley Diary Entry Sunday, 2 February 1902
Started 6.40 for jungle. Shot aureole, woodpecker (red crest) and parrot. Got back 2.30.
Bathed and shot the big white paddy-bird with infinite pains.
. . . and in the meanwhile sent round the village shikari so that I might go out after buffalo the next day. I accordingly started at 6:45 next morning for the jungle.
It soon began to get hot, and a double .577 is not the kind of toy one wants to carry on a fifteen-mile tramp. As a matter of fact, I probably did nearer twenty miles than fifteen, as I was going eight hours with very little rest. We went up and down hills repeatedly, but the wild buffalo was shy, and, as a matter of fact, I did not the whole day see anything whatever shootable, except some small birds which I took home for dinner. In the afternoon we went off bathing together in a delightful pool directly under the hill on which the bungalow was situated. I took down the shot gun with the intention of killing a big paddy bird which we saw from the bank. These birds are valuable on account of the aigrette. I fired, but my shot did not seem to hurt him and he flew off. I resigned the gun to the Burmese boy, and had just finished my bath when the impudent beast came back. I hastily signalled for the gun, and putting on a topi and a towel round my waist proceeded to stalk him across the ford. I suppose I must have presented the most ridiculous spectacle that one can imagine. Thornton [Edward Thornton], at any rate, said he had not laughed so much for years, and I dare say that the paddy bird laughed too; but I got the best laugh in the end, for after about ten minutes' infinite pains I got a close shot at him which put an end to his career. That evening we tried to eat roast parrots, but it was a total failure. I am told, however, that parrot pie is quite a good dish. Well, I don't like parrot, so there will be all the more for those who do.
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