ON THE BLUE NILE 23 



other two gallop back to camp. By fast travelling, the watering-place 

 where the tracks were found may be reached in two or three hours, 

 and if followed up quickly (great caution being unnecessary), the jungle 

 where the herd is feeding may be reached in the afternoon. The 

 tracks are easy to follow, as the path of the herd is marked by pieces 

 of chewed aloe, with the saliva still wet upon them, or by upturned 

 thorn-trees, or by broken branches which the elephants have thrown 

 aside as they went. At last a crash in the forest 100 or 200 yards 

 distant, or the loud ' swish ' of a mass of creepers pulled down by a 

 feeding elephant, or, perhaps, a sudden squeal or the rumbling sounds 

 emitted by elephants when feeding, may be heard ; or the elephants 

 themselves may be seen standing at rest, grouped in the shade of a 

 clump of 'guda' trees. When first sighted, the herd will probably be 

 from 100 to 150 yards away; the approach depends chiefly on the 

 direction of the wind, for it is mainly on their smell that elephants 

 rely in presence of danger. The greatest difficulty is to pick out the 

 largest bull, without alarming the other members of the herd." 



The following extract from the Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic 

 News for January 18, 1908, in regard to elephant-hunting on the 

 Blue Nile will probably be of interest to sportsmen : 



" One point worthy of note is the marked difference between the 

 elephants on the Blue and White Niles. The former have much smaller 

 tusks, and are much fiercer, although the distance between the two 

 rivers does not average more than 120 miles. 



" At Roseires an elephant-hunt can be arranged, and if one wants 

 a rest from shooting, fair sport with a rod and spinner, or live bait, can 

 be had. There are certain professional elephant-hunters, and as it is 

 a very novel and exciting kind of sport, it is quite worth the few extra 

 pounds in ' backsheesh ' necessary. The modus operandi is roughly as 

 follows : When the herd is located, a desirable bull (or, if to capture 

 a young one, a cow) is picked out. Then one man on horseback puts 

 himself in position to be winded, and when the elephant charges dashes 

 off. Meanwhile all the participators and two natives mounted on the 

 same pony give chase. The two latter eventually draw up level 

 with the elephant, and in a second the man behind draws his sword 

 from its scabbard, jumps off, and hamstrings the elephant. There are 

 many varied elements of risk involved, not the least being that the 

 whole herd, instead of a single elephant, may charge down." 



In connection with what has been stated above with regard to the 

 root-digging propensities of the African elephant, it may be well to add 

 that, according to Sir Samuel Baker, such a habit is well known to the 



