THE AFRICAN ELEPHANT. 739 



decorating them with strings of priceless gems, pearls, and gold coins, and lodg- 

 ing them in the most magnificent of houses, where their very eating-troughs are 

 of silver. 



Although the tame Elephant is usually gentle in his disposition, there are certain 

 times in the year when he becomes greatly excited, and is sometimes so powerfully 

 agitated, that he will attack anything that comes in his way, and has often been known 

 even to assault his own keeper. Elephants in this condition are technically called 

 " must " Elephants, and are carefully guarded as long as the paroxysm lasts. On one 

 occasion, a mahout was forced to sit upon the animal's back for several days continu- 

 ously, not daring to alight lest the infuriated animal should destroy him. As he sat 

 upon the creature's back, it constantly endeavored to pull him from his seat, but was 

 held at bay by the sharp point of the " haunkus," which wounded his trunk whenever it 

 threatened the mahout, and caused such pain that the animal was fain to desist from its 

 deadly efforts. While in this state of excitement, the Elephant is largely employed as 

 a combatant, being set to fight another " must" animal for the gratification of its owner. 

 Very heavy wagers were often laid upon these combatants by their Eastern owners, and 

 the fight was of a most terrific character. Each Elephant was mounted by. his own 

 mahout, who was furnished with a rope netting, to which he clung as the animals met 

 in the deadly shock, in order to prevent himself from being flung off the creature's back. 

 It is a remarkable fact, that the animal never interferes with a human being, provided 

 he is mounted upon an Elephant's back, and even the wild "rogue" Elephants do no 

 harm to the men who come to ensnare them. 



There are many breeds, or "castes," of the Asiatic Elephant, which are distinguished 

 by certain technical term's. 



The AFRICAN ELEPHANT is spread over a very wide range of country, extending 

 from Senegal and Abyssinia to the borders of the Cape Colony. Several conditions 

 are required for its existence, such as water, dense forests, and the absence of human 

 habitations. 



Although it is very abundant in the locality which it inhabits, it is not often seen by 

 casual travellers, owing to its great vigilance, and its wonderful power of moving 

 through the tangled forests without noise, and without causing any perceptible agitation 

 of the foliage. In spite of its enormous dimensions, it is one of the most invisible of 

 forest creatures, and a herd of Elephants, of eight or nine feet in height, may stand 

 within a few yards of a hunter without being detected by him, even though he is aware 

 of their presence. The only sure method of ascertaining the presence of Elephants is by 

 listening for one sound which they are continually giving forth, and which they are un- 

 able to control. This peculiar noise resembles the bubbling of wine when poured from 

 a bottle, and is caused by the large amount of water which is stored in their interior. 

 This curious sound is emitted at regular intervals, and forms a sure criterion whereby 

 to judge of the direction in which the creatures may be standing. 



At the present day the African Elephant is never captured and domesticated, al- 

 though there seems to be but little reason for such an omission. In the ancient times, 

 this species was trained for the arts of war and peace as regularly as the Asiatic Ele- 

 phant, and its present immunity from a life of captivity seems to be the result of the 

 fears or laziness of the natives. The only object in possessing the African Elephant is 

 to procure its valuable tusks and teeth, and to afford nourishment to the native tribes. 

 Before the introduction of fire-arms among the Kaffir tribes, the Elephant was hunted 

 by men armed with assagais, or spears, and after being unrelentingly pursued for several 

 successive days, was at last forced to succumb under the multitudes of missiles which 

 penetrated its body. Now, however, the musket-ball, however rude may be the weapon, 

 does great service to the black hunter, and the Elephant is slain in far less time and in 

 greater numbers than under the old system. 



When wounded, the African Elephant is a most formidable animal, charging im- 

 petuously in the direction of the foe, and crashing through the heavy forest as if the 

 trees were but stubble. In such a case, the best resource of the hunter is in his dogs, 

 which bay round the infuriated animal, and soon distract his attention. The bewilderment 



