HABITS OF THE AFRICAN ELEPHANT. 741 
up into a cartridge, is inserted into the breech, and is ready for use without the least delay. 
Very accurate shooting is of no great consequence in the pursuit of this giant game, as 
the hunter can always approach within a few yards of the animal, and deliver his fire 
from his horse’s back, sheering off if the creature endeavours to charge. The bullets 
employed in Elephant shooting are always hardened with a mixture of one-eighth of tin 
or solder, and a steel-pointed bullet would probably be the most deadly missile that ever 
was employed for the purpose. The shell-bullets might also be used with terrible 
effect. 
The Katftirs are persevering Elephant-hunters, and are wonderfully expert in tracking 
any individual by the “spoor,” or track, which is made by his footsteps. The foot of a 
male is easily to be distinguished by the roundness of its form, while that of the female 
is more oval, and the height of the animal is also ascertaimed by measurement of the foot- 
marks, twice the circumference of the foot being equal to the height at the shoulder. The 
mode by which the natives follow a single Elephant through all the multiplied tracks of 
his companions is very curious. The sole of each Elephant’s foot is marked with certain 
wrinkles, which are never precisely alike in any two individuals, and may be compared 
to the minute depressions which are found on the human thumb, and which in more 
primitive times were employed as an expeditious mode of affixing a sign-manual, by being 
rubbed with ink and impressed upon the document. The black hunter, therefore, taking 
a piece of soft clay or earth, works it between his hands into a firm and smooth mass, 
resembling the footmark in shape, and with the point of a thorn traces upon it a chart of 
the lines which are found on the Elephant’s foot. If he should become bewildered amid 
the multiplicity of footmarks, he has only to refer to his clay chart, and is guided against 
the possibility of mistaking one individual for another. 
The death of a large Elephant is great matter of congratulation among the natives, 
who rejoice at the abundant supply of food which will fall to their share. Almost every 
portion of the animal is used by the Kaffirs, whose strong jaws are not to be daunted by 
the toughest meat, and whose accommodating palates are satisfied with various portions 
which would be rejected by any civilized being. Indeed, it seems to be a general rule 
among savages, that every part of an animal which is most repulsive to civilized tastes, is 
considered. by the savage as a Iuxury, and in many cases thought too good to be spoiled 
by cooking. The flesh of the Elephant is dried in order to be formed into “ biltongue,” or 
jerked meat, and the fat is jealously preserved, being used in the decoration of the person 
and rubbed copiously over the head and body. Even the skin is of service to the natives, 
for beneath the hard, leather-like hide, there les a tough inner skin, which is carefully 
removed in large sheets, and is made into vessels for the conveyance of water. 
Some portions of the Elephant are, however, grateful even to European palates, and 
the foot, when baked, is really delicious.. This part of the animal is cooked by being laid 
in a hole in the earth, over which a large fire has been suffered to burn itself out, and then 
covered over with the hot earth. Another fire is then built on the spot, and permitted to 
burn itself out as before, and when the place is thoroughly cool, the foot is properly 
cooked. The flesh of the boiled foot is quite soft and gelatinous, something resembling 
calf’s head, and is so tender that it can be scooped away with a spoon, The trunk and 
the skin around the eye are also enumerated as delicacies, but have been compared by 
one who has had practical experience, as bearing a close resemblance to shoe-leather both 
in toughness and‘ evil flavour. 
The African Elephant is a most suspicious and wary animal, being very keen of scent 
and acute of hearing. So sensitive are the animal's olfactory faculties, that it can track 
a native by the scent of his footsteps, although perhaps it might find a difficulty in 
following the spoor of a shod and cleanly European. However close the Elephant may 
be, the pursued hunter is always safe if he can only chmb a tree, for the animal 
never thinks of looking elsewhere than on the ground for its foe, and neither by 
scent nor vision directs its attention to the trees. While employed in thus trailing 
their enemies, it writhes the trunk into the most singular contortions, fully justifying 
the epithet of anguimanus, or snake-hand, which has so aptly been applied to that 
member. 
