Cruelty. 



8i 



men have been known to kill right and left, one with 

 each barrel ; but occasionally an elephant will not fall 

 before several shots have been lodged in his head. But 

 as regards the African elephant, Sir S. Baker, the explorer 

 of the Nile, than whom no one has had greater experi- 

 ence of elephant shooting in both countries, is of opinion 

 that, owing to a peculiar configuration of the head, it is 

 next to impossible to kill by a front shot.^ 



Contrasted with this, one reads with a shudder the 

 sickening details of the African huntsman approaching 

 behind the retiring animal, and of the torture inflicted by 

 the shower of bullets which tear up its flesh and lacerate 

 its flank and shoulders.'^ 



' "The head is so peculiarly formed 

 that the ball either passes over the 

 brain, or lodges in the immensely solid 

 bones and cartilages that contain the 



roots of the tusks The brain 



of the African species, he says, rests 

 upon a plate of bone exactly above the 

 roots of the upper grinders and is thus 

 wonderfully protected from a front shot, 

 as it lies so low that the tall passes over 

 it when the elephant raises his head, 

 which he invariably does when in anger, 

 until close to the object of his attack. 

 .... I had always held the opinion 

 that the African elephant might be 

 killed with the same facility as that of 

 Ceylon by a forehead shot ; but I have 

 found by much experience that I was 

 entirely wrong and that although by 

 chance an African elephant may be 

 killed by the front shot, it is the excep- 

 tion to the rule."' {The Albert Nyanza, 

 vol. i. p. 277.) 



" In Mr. Gordon Cumming's account 

 of a Hunter s Life in South Africa, 

 there is a narrative of his pursuit of a 

 wounded elephant which he had lamed 



by lodging a ball in its shoulder-blade. 

 It limped slowly towards a tree, against 

 which it leaned itself in helpless agony, 

 whilst its pursuer seated himself in front 

 of it, in safety, to boil his coffee, and 

 observe its sufferings. The story is 

 continued as follows : — "'Having ad- 

 mired him for a considerable time, / 

 resolved to make experitneiits on vul- 

 nerable points ; and approaching very 

 near I fired several bullets at different 

 parts of his enormous skull. He only 

 acknowledged the shots by a salaam-like 

 movement of his trunk, with the point 

 of which he gently touched the wounds 

 with a striking and peculiar action. 

 Surprised and shocked at finding that 

 I was only prolonging the sufferings of 

 the noble beast, which bore its trials 

 with such dignified composure, I re- 

 solved to finish the proceeding with 

 all possible despatch, and accordingly 

 opened fire upon him from the left side, 

 aiming at the shoulder. I first fired 

 six shots with the two-grooved rifle, 

 which must have eventually proved 

 mortal. After which I fired six shots 



