314 HUNTING ADVENTURES. 



firing from the saddle, I sent another brace of bullets into the 

 wounded elephant. Colesberg was extremely unsteady, and de- 

 stroyed the correctness of my aim. 



The friend now seemed resolved to do some mischief, and 

 charged me furiously, pursuing me to a distance of several hun- 

 dred yards. I therefore deemed it proper to give her a gentle 

 hint to act less officiously, and, accordingly, having loaded, T 

 approached within thirty yards, and gave it her sharp, right and 

 left, behind the sh'oulder, upon which she at once made off with 

 drooping trunk, evidently with a mortal wound. I never recur 

 to this day's elephant shooting without regretting my folly in 

 contenting myself with securing only one elephant. The first was 

 now dying, and could not leave the ground, and the second was 

 also mortally wounded, and I had only to follow and finish her ; 

 but I foolishly allowed her to escape, while I amused myself with 

 the first, which kept walking backward, am. -'anding by everj 

 tree she passed. Two more shots finished h v on receivifco 

 them, she tossed her trunk up and down two or tlu^ *imes, and, 

 falling on her broadside against a thorny tree, which yielded like 

 grass before her enormous weight, she uttered a deep hoarse cry 

 end expired. This was a very handsome old cow elephant, and 

 jvas decidedly the best in the troop. She was in excellent con- 

 dition, and carried a pair of long and perfect tusks. I was in high 

 spirits at my success, and felt so perfectly satisfied with -having 

 killed one, that, although it was still early in the day, and my 

 horses were fresh, I allowed the troop of five bulls to remain un- 

 molested, foolishly trusting to fall in with them next day. How 

 little did I then know of the habits of elephants, or the rules to be 

 adopted in hunting them, or deem it probable I should never see 

 them more ! ***** 



Although the dignified and truly monarchical appearance of 

 ihe lion has long rendered him famous among his fellow quad- 

 mpeJs, and his apj. sarance and habits have often been described 

 by abler pens than mine, nevertheless I consider that a few re- 

 marks, resulting from my own personal experience, formed by a 

 * drably long acquaintance with him both by day and by night, 



