THE AFRICAN ELEPHANT. 739 
decorating them with strings of priceless gems, pearls, and gold coins, and lodging them 
in the most magnificent of houses, where their very eating-troughs are of silver. 
Although the tame Elephant is usually gentle in his disposition, there are certain times 
in the year when he becomes greatly excited, and is sometimes so powerfully agitated, 
that he will attack anything that comes in his way, and has often been known even to 
assault his own keeper. Elephants in this condition are technically called “must” 
Elephants, and are carefully guarded as long as the paroxysm lasts. On one occasion, 
a mahout was forced to sit upon the animal's back for several days continuously, 
not daring to alight lest the infuriated animal should destroy him. As he sat upon 
the creature’s back, it constantly endeavoured to pull him from his seat, but was held 
at bay by the sharp point of the “haunkus,” which wounded his trunk whenever it 
threatened the mahout, and caused such pain that the animal was fain to desist from its 
deadly efforts. While in this state of excitement, the Elephant is largely employed as 
a combatant, being set to fight another “must” animal for the gratification of its owner. 
Very heavy wagers were often laid upon these combatants by their Eastern owners, and 
the fight was of a most terrific character. Each Elephant was mounted by his own 
mahout, who was furnished with a rope netting, to which he clung as the animals met in 
the deadly shock, in order to prevent himself from being flung off “the creature's back. It 
is a remarkable fact, that the animal never interferes with a human being provided he is 
mounted upon an Elephant’s back, and even the wild “rogue’ ’ Elephants do no harm to 
the men who come to ensnare them. 
There are many breeds, or “castes,” of the Asiatic Elephant, which are distinguished 
by certain technical terms. 
The AFRICAN ELEPHANT is spread over a very wide range of country, extending from 
Senegal and Abyssinia to the borders of the Cape Colony. Several conditions are 
required for its existence, such as water, dense forests, and the absence of human 
habitations. 
Although it is very abundant in the locality which it inhabits, it is not often seen by 
casual travellers, owing to its great vigilance, and its wonderful power of moving through 
the tangled forests without noise, and without causing any perceptible agitation of the 
foliage. In spite of its enormous dimensions, it is one of the most invisible of forest 
creatures, and a herd of Elephants, of eight or nine feet in height, may stand within 
a few yards of a hunter without being detected by him, even though he is aware of their 
presence. The only sure method of ascertaining the presence of Elephants i is by listening 
for one sound which they are continually giving forth, and which they are unable to 
control. This peculiar noise resembles the bubbling 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 the present day the African Elephant is never captured and domesticated, although 
there seems to be but little reason for such an omission. In the ancient times, this species 
was trained for the arts of war and peace as regularly as the Asiatic Elephant, and its 
present immunity from a life of captivity seems to be the result of the fears or laziness 
of the natives. The only object in possessing the African Elephant is to procure its 
valuable tusks and teeth, and to afford nourishment to the native tribes. Before the 
introduction of fire-arms among the Kaffir tribes, the Elephant was hunted by men armed 
with assagais, or spears, and after being unrelentingly pursued for several successive days, 
was at last forced to succumb under the multitudes of missiles which penetrated its body. 
Now, however, the musket-ball, however rude may be the weapon, does great service to 
the black hunter, and the Elephant is slain in far less time and in greater numbers than 
under the old system. 
When wounded, the African Elephant is a most formidable animal, charging 
impetuously in the direction of the foe, and crashing through the heavy forest as if the 
trees were but stubble. In such a case, the best resource of the hunter is in his dogs, 
which bay round the infuriated animal, and soon distract his attention. The bewilderment 
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