SOUTHERN AFRICA. 171 



head. Andries now came up in hig'li g-ood humour at his 

 achievements, and in the most bravado manner discharg-ed 

 his piece into the dead carcase, under the pretence that 

 the animal was shamming*. His object evidently was to 

 confound the shots— for thi'usting- his middle finder into 

 the orifice made by my two-ounce ball, he with the most 

 modest assurance declared himself the author of the deed, 

 being- pleased altog'ether to overlook the fact of the mortal 

 shot having entered the elephant on the side opposite to 

 that on Avhich he was stationed, and that his own ball, 

 whether designedly or not, had all but expended my worthy 

 and esteemed fellow-traveller. 



On our way to the camp, of the exact position of which 

 we were uncertain, in consequence of the late inundation, 

 we passed three other larg-e herds of elephants. One of 

 these standing- directly in the route, we attacked it, and 

 pursued the fugitives about a mile over loose stones. Much 

 has been said of the attachment of elephants to their young*, 

 but neither on this, nor on any subsequent occasion, did 

 we perceive them evince the smallest concern for their 

 safety. On the contrary, they left them to shift for them- 

 selves, and Mohanycom and 'Ling-ap, who were behind us, 

 assag-aied one, the tail of which they broug-ht in. We slew 

 another old female as we ascended the brow of an eminence, 

 and at the same moment perceived our wag-g-ons within a 

 few hundred yards of the spot. The whole herd dash- 

 ed throug-h the camp, causing- indescribable consternation 

 among-st cattle and followers, but fortunately no accident 

 occurred, and after the fatig-uing- day's work we had under- 

 g-one, we were not sorry to find ourselves at home. 



Watery clouds hung- about the sun as he set heavily 

 behind the mountains. Loud peals of crashing- thunder 

 rent the air, and ere it was dark, we had a repetition of 

 yesterday's storm, the river roaring- past us with frightful 



