46 



CLASS M A M M A L I A. 



ORDER P ACHYDERMATA. 



left behind his shoulder. Again he charged with a terrific trumpet, which 

 sent ' Sunday ' flying through the forest. This was his last charge. The 

 wounds which he had received began to tell on his constitution, and he 

 now stood at bay beside a thorny tree, with the dogs barking around him. 

 These, refreshed by the evening breeze, and perceiving that it was nearly 

 over with the elephant, had once more come to my assistance. Having 

 loaded, I drew near and fired right and left at his forehead. On receiving 

 these shots, instead of charging he tossed his trunk up and down, and by 

 various sounds and motions, most gratifying to the hungry natives, evinced 

 that his demise was near. Again I loaded, and fired my last shot behind 

 his shoulder : on receiving it, he turned round the bushy tree beside which 

 he stood, and I ran round to give him the other barrel, but the mighty old 

 monarch of the forest needed no more ; before I could clear the bushy tree 

 he fell heavily on his side, and his spirit had fled. My feelings at this 

 moment can only be understood by a few brother Nimrods, who have had 

 the good fortune to enjoy a similar encounter. I never felt so gratified on 

 any former occasion as I did then." 



Notwithstanding our limited space, we feel tempted to introduce 

 Mr. Cumming's interesting account of the uses to which the natives 

 convert the several parts of this animal : 



"The manner in which the elephant is cut up is as follows: The 

 rough outer skin is first removed, in large sheets, from the side which lies 

 uppermost. Several coats of an under skin are then met with. This skin 

 is of a tough and pliant nature, and is used by the natives for making 

 water-bags, in which they convey supplies of water from the nearest vley 

 or fountain (which is often ten miles distant) to the Elephant. They 

 remove this inner skin witli caution, taking care not to cut it with the 

 assagai ; and it is formed into water-bags by gathering the corners and 

 edges, and transfixing the whole on a pointed wand. The flesh is then 

 removed in enormous sheets from the ribs, when the hatchets come into 

 play, with which they chop through, and remove individually, each colossal 

 rib. The bowels are thus laid bare; and in the removal of these the 

 leading men take a lively interest and active part, for it is throughout and 

 around the bowels that the fat of the Elephant is mainly found. 



" There are few things which a Bechuana prizes so highly as fat of any 

 description ; they will go an amazing distance for a small portion of it. 

 They use it principally in cooking their sun-dried biltongue, and they also 

 eat it with their corn. The fat of the Elephant lies in extensive layers and 

 sheets in his inside, and the quantity which is obtained from a full-grown 

 bull, in high condition, is very great. Before it can be obtained, the 

 greater part of the bowels must be removed. To accomplish this, several 

 men eventually enter the immense cavity of his inside, where they 

 continue mining away with their assagais, and handing the fat to their 

 comrades outside until all is bare. While this is transpiring with the sides 

 and bowels, other parties are equally active in removing the skin and flesh 

 from the remaining parts of the carcase. The natives have a horrid 

 practice on these occasions of besmearing their bodies, from the crown of 

 the head to the sole of the foot, with the black and clotted gore ; and in 

 this anointing they assist one another, each man taking up the fill of both 

 his hands, and spreading it over the back and shoulders of his friend. 

 Throughout the entire proceeding an incessant and deafening clamour of 

 many voices and confused sounds is maintained, and violent jostling and 

 wrestling are practised by every man, elbowing the breasts and coun- 

 tenances of his fellows, all slippery with gore, as he endeavours to force 

 his way to the venison through the dense intervening ranks, while the 

 sharp and ready assagai gleams in every hand. The angry voices and gory 

 appearances of these naked savages, combined with their excited and 

 frantic gestures and glistening arms, presented an effect so wild and 

 striking, that when I first beheld the scene I contemplated it in the 

 momentary expectation of beholding one half of the gathering turn their 

 weapons against the other. 



" The trunk and feet are considered a delicacy, and a detachment are 

 employ. I on these. The four feet are amputated at the fetlock joint, and 

 the trunk, which at the base is about two feet in thickness, is cut into 



convenient lengths. Trunk and feet are then baked, preparatory to their 

 removal to head-quarters. The manner in which this is done is as 

 follows : A party, provided with sharp-pointed sticks, dig a hole in the 

 ground for each foot and a portion of the trunk. These holes are about 

 two feet deep, and a yard in width ; the excavated earth is embanked 

 around the margin of the hole. This work being completed, they next 

 collect an immense quantity of dry branches and trunks of trees, of which 

 there is always a profusion scattered around, having been broken by the 

 elephants in former years. These they pile above the holes to the height 

 of eight or nine feet, and then set fire to the heap. When these strong 

 fires have burnt down, and the whole of the wood is reduced to ashes, the 

 holes and the surrounding earth are heated in a high degree. Ten or 

 twelve men then stand round the pit, and rake out the ashes with a pole 

 about sixteen feet in length, having a hook at the end. They relieve one 

 another in quick succession, each man running in and raking the ashes for 

 a few seconds, and then pitching the pole to his comrade and retreating, 

 since the heat is so intense tliat it is scarcely to be endured. When all the 

 ashes are thus raked out beyond the surrounding bank of earth, each 

 Elephant's foot and portion of the trunk is lifted by two athletic men, 

 standing side by side, who place it on their shoulders ; and approaching 

 the pit together, they heave it into it. The long pole is now again 

 resumed, and with it they shove in the heated bank of earth upon the 

 foot, shoving and raking until it is completely buried in the earth. The 

 hot embers, of which there is always a great supply, are then raked into a 

 heap above the foot, and another bonfire is kindled over each, which is 

 allowed to burn down and die a natural death ; by which time the 

 enormous foot or trunk will be found to be equally baked throughout its 

 inmost parts. When the foot is supposed to be ready, it is taken out of 

 the ground with pointed sticks, and is first well beaten, and then scraped 

 with an assagai, whereby adhering particles of sand are got rid of. The 

 outside is then pared oft', and it is transfixed with a sharp stake for facility 

 of carriage. 



" The feet thus cooked are excellent, as is also the trunk, which very 

 much resembles buffalo's tongue. The reason why such large fires are 

 requisite is owing to the mass of the flesh that must be baked. In raking 

 the sand on the foot, the natives are careful not to rake the red-hot embers 

 in with it, which would burn and destroy the meat ; whereas the sand or 

 earth protects it, imparting an even and steady heat. When the natives 

 have cut up the Elephant, and removed the large masses of flesh, &c., to 

 their respective temporary kraals around, they sit down for a little to rest 

 and draw their breath, and for a short time smoking and snuffing are 

 indulged in." 



MASTODON. The animals belonging to this genus are now extinct, at 

 least they have not been met with alive in any part of the world which has 

 been explored up to this time, but only in a fossil state, and till within 

 the last few years, it was believed only in a certain district of North 

 America. The diligent investigations of Cuvier, however, have proved 

 that they are found not only in North America, but among the fossil 

 remains of Europe. Humboldt has obtained specimens of the genus from 

 South America; and very recently, Dr. Buckland and Mr. Clift have 

 shown that they are found in Asia also, several parts of two new s] ci. s 

 having been brought by Mr. Crawford from the Birman Empire, and 

 subjected to their examination. 



The Gigantic Mastodon (M. Giganteum) measures about ten feet in 

 height and fifteen in length, so that in the latter dimension it is four feet 

 longer than an Elephant of the same height, which never exceeds eleven 

 feet. It appears almost certain that the Mastodon fed upon soft vege- 

 tables, roots, or aquatic plants ; that it was provided with a trunk ; that 

 in height it did not exceed the Elephant ; and that it was not made like 

 the Hippopotamus to live and swim about in the water, but was actually 

 a terrestrial animal. 



Several species have been fount! in various parts of the world. 



