THE ELEPHANT. 179 



rolling in the mud, and the dam was standing fanning 

 herself with her great ears. As I looked at them 

 through my glass, I 'saw a long string of my own men 

 appearing on the other side of them. I then went 

 higher up the side of the valley, in order to have a 

 distinct view of their mode of hunting. The goodly 

 beast, totally unconscious of the approach of an enemy, 

 stood for some time suckling her young one, which 

 seemed about two years old ; they then went into a 

 pit containing mud, and smeared themselves all over 

 with it ; the little one frisking about his dam, flapping 

 his ears, and tossing his trunk incessantly in elephan- 

 tine fashion. She kept flapping her ears and wagging 

 her tail, as if in the height of enjoyment. Then began 

 the piping of her enemies, which was performed by 

 blowing into a tube, or the hands closed together, 

 as boys do into a key. They call out, to attract the 

 animal's attention, 



* O chief ! chief ! we have come to lull you ; 

 O chief! chief! many others will die beside you; 

 The gods have said it,' &c. &c. 



Both animals expanded their ears and listened; 

 then left their bath. As the crowd rushed towards 

 them, the little one ran forward, towards the end of 

 the valley, but seeing the men, returned to his dam. 

 She placed herself on the dangerous side of her calf, 

 and passed her proboscis over it again and again, as if 



