AT in TAN r.LK I'll ANT. 



I*]l('|)liaiits, of c'i_i!;lit or nine feet in hci'i;lit, iii:iy stiind within a fow ynnin of a liimtcr 

 without bcinp: detected bv him, even though he is aware of their ])resence. The 

 only sure method of ascertaininp: the presence of Elepliants is by listening for one 

 sound which they are continually giving fortli, and which they are unable to con- 

 trol. This peculiar noise reseiuljles the bubl)ling of wine when poured from a 

 bottle, and is caused by the large amount of water which is stored in their interior. 

 This curious sound is emitted at regular intervals, and forms a sure criterion 

 whereby to judge of the direction in which the creatures may be standing. 



At tlic ])resent day the African El'.'])hant is never captured and domesticated, 

 ahliough there seems to be but littk^ reason for such an omission. In the 

 ancient times, tliis species was trained for the arts of war and ])eace as regularly 

 as the Asiatic Klcphant, and its ])r(siiit iunnunity from a life of captivity seems 

 to be the result of the feai-s or laziness of the natives. The only object in ])ossess- 

 ing the African Elephant is to ])rocure its valuable tusks and teeth, and to aflbrd 

 nourishment to the native tribes. Before the introduction of fire-arms among 

 tl'.e Katlir tribes, the Klejjhant was himted by men armed with assagais, or spears, 

 and after being unrelentingly ])ui-sued for several successive days, was at last forced 

 to succund) under the multitudes of missiles which penetrated its body. Now, 

 however, the musket-ball, however rude may be the weapon, does great scn'icc to 

 the black hunter, and the Klephant is .slain in far le.«;s time and in greater numbers 

 than under the old system. 



The Kaffirs are persevering Elephant -huntei-s, and are wonderfully expert in 

 tracking any iiulividual by the " spoor," or track, which is made by its footsteps. 

 The foot of a mah' is easily distinguisluul by the roimduess of its form, while that 

 of the female is more oval, and thi* height of the animal is also ascertained by 

 measurement of the footmarks, twice the circumference of the foot being equal to 

 the height at the shoulder. 'I'he mode by which the natives follow a single 

 I'.lephant through all the nndtii)lied tracks of his companions is very curious. 

 The sole of each JHej)hant's fool is marked with certain wrinkles, whidi are never 

 precisely alike in any two individuals, and may be compared to the minute (lej)res- 

 sions which are found on the human thumb, and which in more primitive times 

 were emjdoyed as an expeditious mode of affixing a sign-manual, by being rid)bed 

 with ink ami impre.s.>^ed ujjon the docmueut. The black hunter, therefore, taking 

 a soft piece of clay or earth, works it between his hands into a firm and snKX)th 

 mass, re.send)ling the footmark in shajK-, and with the ])oint of a thorn traces 

 upon it a chart of the lines which are fouml on the Elephant's foot. If he 

 should become bewildered amid the nndtiplicity of footmarks, he has only to 

 refer to his clay chart, and is guarded against the ])ossibility of mistaking one 

 iiulividual for another. 



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