ELEPHANTS 725 



elsewhere, the elephants were absolutely or practically ex- 

 terminated. Fortunately there Is now efficient protection 

 afforded them In many places by the laws of the European 

 governments, especially by the British Government. In 

 Uganda and British East Africa, and along certain parts of 

 the Nile, the killing of cows and young stock has almost 

 ceased, and the herds are quite or nearly holding their own. 

 Naturally, where the beasts are much hunted they be- 

 come exceedingly shy. They then drink only at night, and 

 if possible never twice at the same place, and they travel 

 extraordinary distances between times. The slightest taint 

 in the air will stampede them, and they then go many miles 

 without stopping. Sometimes their way will be for many 

 miles across the burning plains, sometimes through dense 

 jungle, sometimes through soft, wet soil. In which their feet 

 punch huge holes. Under such conditions elephant hunt- 

 ing becomes a work of wearing fatigue, entailing severer and 

 longer-continued labor than any other form of the chase. 

 But where the herds are not much molested they often show 

 astonishing tameness and Indifference to man. Near one 

 of our camps in the Lado we one morning encountered a 

 herd of thirty or forty cows, calves, and young beasts, half 

 and three-quarters grown. They were in a broad, shallow 

 valley, evidently a swamp In the wet season. The valley 

 was covered with tall, rank grass, burned off In places, and 

 dotted here and there with ant heaps and bushes and 

 acacias. A big flock of cow herons accompanied the herd. 

 The beasts were feeding on the grass when we first saw them, 

 and we approached them close enough to see that there 

 were no big bulls. After finishing feeding they moved off 

 up the valley, the herons riding on their backs, but dismount- 



