Elephants 



the-elephants, for which I was searching. His tusks, although 

 thick and cobby, were disappointing, being worn down to a 

 weight of a Httle over forty pounds apiece. 



Counting myself extremely lucky under the circumstances, 

 I now made my way back to camp and pondering over the 

 matter as I walked, it was borne in on me that the job of 

 removing the hide of the dead elephant in one piece was going 

 to tax the powers of my porters and myself to the utmost. 



I reached camp towards sundown but it was not until the 

 following morning that I again reached the carcass, accom- 

 panied by half the population of the countryside, whom I had 

 engaged, on a promise of much meat, for the work in hand. 



After pitching camp I made the discovery that the nearest 

 water was some miles away, so I arranged with the local 

 chief that every day, twenty-five women, each with a large 

 earthenware pot, should keep the camp supplied with the 

 vital fiuid. Having arranged this I got some of my men to 

 work on the skinning operations, whilst others were put 

 to the task of clearing a space free from shade in which to 

 erect a low drying frame for the hide, when the time came 

 to spread it out to dry. 



[I give here the note of the dimensions made from the 

 skin at the British Museum : — 



Height, II feet 4 inches. 



Girth, 17 feet 4J inches. 



Overall length (taken from tip of trunk, along curve of 

 back, to tip of tail), 30 feet. 



Length from posterior alveolar border of tusk, along body 

 to back of root of tail, 15 feet 10 inches. 



Length of trunk, 8 feet. 



Length of tail (to tips of hairs), 5 feet 6 inches. 



233 



