6o A HUNTER'S WANDERINGS ch. 



the tendo Achillis. It this is accomplished the poor 

 animal remains where he stands, almost incapable of 

 movement, a touching illustration of the triumph of 

 mind over matter ; whilst if the blow is not delivered 

 with sufficient force to immediately incapacitate him, 

 the elephant receives such a tright that he dashes 

 away in terror, without stopping to inquire into the 

 cause of his mishap. All these tribes also kill 

 elephants by stabbing them from trees with large 

 heavy assegais made tor the purpose. When a herd 

 of elephants has been observed feeding quietly along, 

 several men will take up positions in trees on the 

 line of march pursued by the unsuspecting brutes. 

 Presently an elephant will walk immediately beneath 

 a tree in which one of the wily savages is seated, on 

 which, raising the heavy-shafted weapon with both 

 hands above his head, he plunges it with all his strength 

 between the animal's shoulder-blades. Away rushes 

 the wounded beast with the assegai cieep in his back ; 

 the heavy shaft swaying backwards and forwards 

 forcing the iron ever deeper into his vitals, till at last, 

 weakened by internal haemorrhage, he either talis 

 dead, or is stabbed to death by the pursuers, who 

 have followed on his bloody tracks. The blades of 

 these elephant assegais are often two and a half feet 

 long by two and a half inches broad, and the shafts 

 though short are very heavy, being from two to 

 three inches in diameter. 



On my return to Jomani I found Mandy had 

 arrived there from Sebakwe. My friend Dorehill 

 had also come in from Gubulawayo with some goods 

 to trade with the Griqua and Boer hunters, so we 

 were once more together again, and had a good talk 

 over our several experiences since we had last 

 met. Mandy had been in with an English elephant- 



