ch. xxix ANIMALS OF THE BACK BLOCKS 283 



decreased to a minimum ; further, it is only in the 

 more remote corners of the Protectorate that elephant 

 can be found elsewhere than in thick bush or in 

 forest. Again, many of the herds of cows, having 

 been much persecuted, are getting exceeding savage 

 and prone to charge at sight or rather at scent. 

 All these reasons combine to prevent its being 

 worth the settler's while, except in rare instances, to 

 take out a licence with the view of getting a little 

 surplus cash. There can, I think, be little doubt 

 nowadays as to the danger of elephant shooting, and 

 none as to its excitement. Both elements are greatly 

 increased in the Protectorate since the days of that 

 great hunter, the late Mr. Neumann. In his day, the 

 unprovoked attack of a herd was practically unknown, 

 and also nearly all the shooting was done in fairly 

 open country. Thus Neumann says that he has 

 never known a charging elephant which would not 

 turn if a bullet was placed in its chest — though it 

 must be borne in mind that he himself was nearly 

 killed by the charge of a wounded cow. Also that 

 after a day or two of hunting in the bamboo forests of 

 Kenia nothing on earth would induce him to do so 

 again. The most desirable place to encounter ele- 

 phants would be open forest with big trees and little 

 undergrowth. After that, open plain. Next, thin 

 bush. Last of all would be selected elephant grass, 

 thick thorn bush and bamboo. Elephant hunting is 

 a sport which involves the necessity of a cool head 

 coupled with great activity and endurance, and is held 

 by some, such as Stigand, to be the finest of all 

 African hunting. There is no doubt in my own mind 

 that it is the hardest and most dangerous form, but 

 possibly it requires less of that desirable element which 





£ BF1 



