308 THE ELEPHANT. [rART VIIT. 



althougli it appeared to me at the time to be so remark- 

 able that it left a deep impression in my mind. 



" In the height of the dry season in Xenera-Iva-lawa, 

 you know the streams are all dided up, and the tanks 

 nearly so. All animals are then sorely pressed for water, 

 and they congregate in the vicinity of those tanks in 

 which there may remain ever so httle of the precious 

 element, 



" Dming one of those seasons I was encamped on the 

 bund or embankment of a very small tank, the water 

 in which was so dried that its surface could not have 

 exceeded an area of 500 square yards. It was the only 

 pond within many miles, and I knew that of necessity a 

 very large herd of elephants, Avhich had been in the 

 neighbourhood all day, must resort to it at night. 



" On the lower side of the tank, and in a hue ^vitli the 

 embankment, was a tliick forest, in which the elephants 

 sheltered themselves during the day. On the upper 

 side and all around the tank there was a considerable 

 margin of open ground. It was one of those beautiful, 

 bright, clear, moonhght nights, when objects could be 

 seen almost as distinctly as by day, and I determined 

 to avail myself of the opportunity to observe the move- 

 ments of the herd, which had akeady manifested some 

 uneasiness at our presence. The locahty was very fa- 

 vourable for my purpose, and an enormous tree project- 

 ing over the tank afforded me a secure lodgment in its 

 branches. Having ordered the fires of my camp to be 

 extinguished at an early hom% and all my followers to 

 retire to rest, I took up my post of observation on the 

 overhanging bough ; but I had to remain for upwards of 

 two hoiu's before anything was to be seen or heard of 

 the elephants, although I knew they were within 500 

 yards of me. At length, about the distance of 300 yards 

 from the water, an unusually large elephant issued from 

 the dense cover, and advanced cautiously across the 

 open ground to within 100 yards of the tank, where he 

 stood perfectly motionless. So quiet had the elephants 



