222 ELEPHANT SEAL. 



which he is armed, they all at once force many of 

 these flaming torches down his throat. The un- 

 fortunate Elephant gives utterance to the most me- 

 lancholy bellowings, his whole frame is agitated 

 with violence, and he dies 0f suffocation and agony. 

 Joyful shoutings ascend on every side, and the 

 cruel conquerors set themselves down to devour 

 their prey. Each tears away what he can ; lit 

 gorges himself and sleeps ; he awakes, and eats, and 

 sleeps again. The feast may have united tribes 

 which were inimical, and for the time their hatred 

 is extinguished ; but their revels over, their ani- 

 mosities revive, and murderous combats usually 

 terminate their disgusting orgies. 



But these savages are not their most formidable 

 foes : their voracity they can generally avoid ; 

 but they find no escape from mercantile cupidity, 

 which appears to have vowed complete extinction 

 to the race. The fishers use in destroying them 

 a lance twelve or fifteen feet long, with a sharp 

 iron point of about two feet. With great address, 

 they seize the moment when the animal raises 

 his left fore-paw to advance, and plunging the 

 weapon to the heart, he immediately falls down 

 drenched in blood. The females rarely offer the 

 least opposition, their defensive weapons being 

 feebler still than those of the male. When at- 

 tacked, they seek to flee ; if prevented they become 

 violently agitated, their countenance assumes th 

 expression of despair, and they weep piteously. " f 

 have myself/' says Peron, " seen a young female shed 



