HARDSHIPS OF ELEPHANT-HUNTING. 337 



enabled to slay the animal with their slender spears, 

 which, if properly directed, penetrate its bark-like 

 hide with the same facility as a knife a Stilton cheese. 

 As a number of men are usually engaged in 



v O O 



these hunts, or massacres if you will, the appear- 

 ance of the poor creature, prior to its sinking to 

 the ground from loss of blood, is not very dissimilar 

 to that of an angry porcupine. 



The elephant, it is to be remarked, has an un- 

 accountable aversion to the canine race ; though, 

 during the chase, he not unfrequently turns on a 

 dog, he is said rarely to injure it with his trunk, 

 which, were he so disposed, he might at times readily 

 do ; and that he detests swine is recorded by every 

 naturalist, from Pliny to Button. It is even said 

 that if a hare, or other small animal, crosses his 

 path, he becomes immediately alarmed. 



The fatigues and hardships of elephant-hunting 

 on foot, as shown in a former chapter, are exceed- 

 ingly great, and it may be affirmed that they are 

 710 less even when one is mounted. i\ot so, pos- 

 sibly, to the amateur sportsman, who, having every 

 comfort, and needful appliances at hand, usually, 

 I presume, takes the matter very easily; but cer- 

 tainly to the man who makes the pursuit of the animal 

 a sort of profession. I. judge so, at least, from what. 

 my friend Frederick (ireen, who comes under the 

 latter category, wrote me during one of his expe- 

 ditions in the interior. 



" We worked hard to overtake the elephants, 

 following on their trail from day-break to dark, 

 until man and beast were utterly exhausted. 



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