X 



THE AFRICAN ELEPHANT 



OUR knowledge of the ways and habits of the Afri- 

 can giant of mammals is but meagre. We know 

 that in the time of Scipio man had succeeded in pressing 

 the African elephant into his service just as he still suc- 

 ceeds with the Indian elephant. For many centuries 

 these thick-skinned animals were left to themselves, 

 and, no doubt, ranged in immense numbers far and 

 wide over the whole continent south of the Sahara. 

 All this changed when the European settlers and mer- 

 chants penetrated into the interior. Suddenly ivory 

 became a much -desired article of trade. To be sure, 

 great masses of ivory had been treasured by negro 

 chiefs of the western coast. The demand, however, ex- 

 ceeded this supply, and soon the animals were hunted 

 by natives and Europeans alike, and butchered in the 

 most reckless manner for the sake of their valuable 

 tusks. Formerly the natives had no special reasons 

 to destroy these animals; but when ivory became a 

 valuable article of exchange, and when the natives 

 learned to use fire-arms, then the war of extermination 

 began on a large scale. 



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