Chap. XXIII.] SOUTHERN AFRICA. 203 



adjacent hill with incredible celerity, their huge 

 fan-like ears flapping in the ratio of their speed. 

 We instantly mounted our horses, and, the sharp 

 loose stones not suiting the feet of the wounded lady, 

 soon closed with her. Streaming with blood, and 

 infuriated with rage, she turned upon us with up- 

 lifted trunk, and it was not until after repeated dis- 

 charges, that a ball took effect in her brain, and 

 threw her lifeless on the earth, which resounded 

 with the fall. 



Turning our attention from the exciting scene I 

 have described, we found that a second valley had 

 opened upon us, surrounded by bare stony hills, and 

 traversed by a thinly-wooded ravine. Here a grand 

 and magnificent panorama was before us, which 

 beggars all description. The whole face of the 

 landscape was actually covered with wild elephants. 

 There could not have been fewer than three hundred 

 within the scope of our vision. Every height and 

 green knoll was dotted over with groups of them, 

 whilst the bottom of the glen exhibited a dense and 

 sable living mass — their colossal forms being at one 

 moment partially concealed by the trees which they 

 were disfiguring with giant strength; and at 

 others seen majestically emerging into the open 

 glades, bearing in their trunks the branches of trees 

 with which they indolently protected themselves from 

 the flies. The back-ground was filled by a limited 

 peep of the blue mountainous range, which here as- 

 sumed a remarkably precipitous character, and com- 

 pleted a picture at once soul- stirring and sublime ! 



