CHAP. iv. ELEPHANT. 203 



when their thirst was quenched squirting the water over 

 their bodies. They were mostly cows amongst which 

 I only saw one bull with good tusks, and thinking that 

 they would go back after drinking I covered it in readi- 

 ness to fire, but the first movement was made by their 

 former leader, who, throwing her proboscis high in the 

 air, walked forward, each of the others falling into line as 

 its turn came with the regularity of well-drilled soldiers. 

 I have since been told by hunters and natives that what 

 I saw was unusual, and that elephants, when crossing a 

 river, defer drinking until they have almost reached the 

 side they are going to ; but as I only saw them crossing 

 on one other occasion, and that was under a heavy fire from 

 upwards of a dozen hunters, I do not personally know if 

 they are right. 



There was a little air blowing up the river, and as the 

 great fig-tree under which I was standing, and which I 

 looked to for shelter if any of them charged, was some ten 

 yards to windward of the path they would take on com- 

 ing out, I climbed up it, so that the tainted air should 

 pass over them, and in two or three minutes more the 

 foremost walked up the bank. It was a beautiful sight 

 to see them as they marched past, and I had full leisure 

 to enjoy it, as there were twenty-three of them, and my 

 big tusker brought up the rear. One by one they slowly 

 filed past, quietly and steadily, making their way for the 

 jungle above. Perhaps, properly speaking, I should not 

 have disturbed them, but having marked them into the 

 cover, should have sent my native to call my men, and 

 keeping guard on them myself, should have awaited their 

 arrival to make a combined attack, but the snowy white- 



