ELEPHANT HUNTING. 545 



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 great 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 assumed a remarkably precipitous character, and com- 

 pleted a picture at once soul-stirring and sublime ! 



Our approach being still against the wind, was unobserved, 

 and created little alarm, until the herd that we had left 

 behind suddenly showed itself, recklessly thundering down 

 the hill to join the main body, and passing so close to us 

 that we could not refrain from firing a broadside into one 

 of them, which, however, bravely withstood it. We secured 

 our horses on the summit of a stony ridge, and then station- 

 ing ourselves at an opportune place on a ledge overlooking 

 the wooded defile, sent Andries to maneuvre, so that as 

 many of the elephants as possible could pass before us in 

 order of review, that we might ascertain by a close inspection 

 whether there was not a male amono-st them. Filing sluoj- 

 gishly along, they occasionally halted beneath an umbrageous 

 tree, within fifteen yards of us, lazily fanning themselves 

 with their ample ears, blowing away the flies with their 

 trunks, and uttering the feeble and peculiar cry so peculiar to 

 Indian elephants. They all proved to be ladies, and most of 

 them mothers, followed by their little old-fashioned calves, 

 each trudging close to the heels of her dam, and mimicking 

 all her motions. Thus situated, we might have killed any 

 number we pleased, their heads being frequently turned 

 towards us in such a position, and so close, that a single ball 

 in the brain would have sufiiced for each; but whilst we 

 were yet hesitating, a bullet suddenly whizzed past Richard- 

 son's ear, and put the whole herd to immediate flight. We 



had barely time to recede behind a tree, before a party of 



35 



