8o HUNTING TRIPS IN NORTHERN RHODESIA. 



the bullet lost a certain amount of velocity in penetrating the small tree, and it 

 may not have gone into him quite deep enough. 



On our way back to camp we came on three herds of cow elephants, and some 

 of them would hardly get out of our way. We threw stones at one cow and hit her 

 several times, but she only stamped her feet and flapped her ears, making a grumbling 

 sound all the time. I thought she would have come for us, but on going round to the 

 windward side she got the wind and cleared off. 



One of the herds was drinking at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. It is very unusual 

 to find elephants drinking during the daytime, but the heat at this time was so terrific 

 that they were forced to go to the water I suppose. This intense heat seemed to 

 make them lazy and disinclined to move, for I never saw elephants so fearless. In 

 every case getting our wind made them go, but they would not budge for anything 

 else. There are too many cow elephants in tTiis country, and it would be advisable 

 for the Government to allow some to be shot. These herds of cows, calves, and 

 undersized bulls do great damage to the crops of the natives every year, and they are 

 so little molested nowadays that they are getting quite fearless of man. I do not 

 know how much an elephant will eat in twenty-four hours, but I should think 2oolb. 

 of green stufT would be near the mark, if not under it. This weight of grain repeated 

 every night for perhaps three months for a herd of elephants, makes a tremendous 

 total, and is a most serious loss to the natives ; and yet the Government does not 

 allow female elephants to be shot or molested in any way. 



Soon after this I came back to civilisation to pay off some of my men and to 

 arrange for another trip. 



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ELEPHANTS SKULL AND TUSKS, 



