NOTE-BOOK OF A NATURALIST. 51 



hamstringing, and was eventually despatched by repeated 

 wounds in the abdomen and proboscis : five leaden balls 

 had struck him about the haunches in the course of the 

 chase, but they had merely penetrated a few inches into 

 his flesh, and appeared to give him but little uneasiness. 

 The whole of the next day the road leading to the spot 

 where he lay was like a fair, from the numbers who re- 

 paired thither for the sake of bringing off a part of the 

 flesh, Avhich, Major Denham observes, is esteemed by all, 

 and even eaten in secret by the first people about the 

 sheikh. ' It looks coarse," adds the major, ' but is better 

 flavoured than any beef I found in the country." Upon 

 this occasion whole families put themselves in motion to 

 partake of the spoil. 



The manner of hunting the elephant (says Major Denham) is 

 simply this : — From ten to twenty horsemen single out one of 

 these ponderous animals, and, separating him from the flock by 

 screaming and hallooing, force him to fly with all his speed ; after 

 wounding him under the tail, if they can there place a spear, 

 the animal becomes enraged. One horseman then rides in front, 

 whom he pursues with earnestness and fury, regardless of those 

 who press on his rear, notwithstanding the wounds they inflict on 

 him. He is seldom drawn from this first object of pursuit ; and 

 at last, wearied and transfixed with spears, his blood deluging the 

 ground, he breathes his last under the knifa of some more venture- 

 some hunter than the rest, who buries his dagger in the vulnerable 

 part near the abdomen : for this purpose he will creep between 

 the animal's hinder legs, and apparently expose himself to the 

 greatest danger : when this cannot be accomphshed, one or two 

 will hamstring him while he is baited in the front ; and this giant 

 of quadi'upeds then becomes comparatively an easy prey to his 

 persecutors. 



In one of his hunting expeditions while at Kouka, 

 Major Denham was shooting wild-fowl, when one of the 

 sheikh's people came galloping up with the information 

 that three very huge elephants were grazing close to the 

 water. When he and his party came within a few hun 

 dred yards of them, all the persons on foot, and Major 

 Denham's servant on a mule, were ordered to halt, while 



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