HABITS OP THE ELEPHANT. 299 



is advised by his exquisite sense of smell. To oblain these he 

 turns up the ground with his tusks, and whole acres may be seen 

 thus plowed up. Elephants consume an immense quantity of 

 food, and pass the greatel part of the day and night in feeding. 

 Like the whale in the ocean, the elephant on land is acquainted 

 with, and roams over, .wide and extensive tracts. He is extremely 

 particular in always frequenting the freshest and most verdant 

 districts of the forest ; and when one district is parched and barren, 

 he will forsake it for years, and wander to great distances in quest 

 of better pasture. 



The elephant entertains an extraordinary horror of man, and a 

 child can put a hundred of them to flight by passing at a quarter 

 of a mile to windward ; and when thus disturbed, they go a long 

 way before they halt. It is surprising how 'soon these sagacious 

 animals are aware of the presence of a hunter in their domains. 

 When one troop has been attacked, all the otl er elephants fre- 

 quenting the district are aware of the fact within two or three 

 days, when they all forsake it, and migrate to distant parts, leaving 

 the hunter no alternative but to inspan his wagons, and remove 

 to fresh ground. This constitutes one of the greatest' difficulties 

 which a skilful elephant-hunter encounters. Even in the most 

 remote parts, which may be reckoned the head-quarters of the 

 elephant, it is only occasionally, and with inconceivable toil and 

 hardship, that the eye of the hunter is cheered by the sight of one. 

 Owing to habits peculiar to himself, the elephant is more inac- 

 cessible, and much more rarely seen, than any other game quad- 

 ruped, excepting certain rare antelopes. They choose for their 

 resort the most lonely and secluded depths of the forest, generally 

 at a very great distance from the rivers and fountains at which 

 they drink. In dry and warm weather they visit these waters 

 nightly, but in cool and cloudy weather they drink only once 

 every third or fourth day. About sundown the elephant leaves 

 his distant mid-day haunt, and commences his march toward the 

 fountain, which is probably from twelve to twenty miles distant 

 This he generally reaches between the hours of nine and mid- 

 night, when, having slacked his thirst and cooled his body by 



