SPEED OF THE ELEPHANT. 79 



come to light, owing to the enterprising sportsman having 

 been crushed to death by his infuriated game before he 

 had an opportunity of making public his experience. 



An elephant can run very fast, and moves with sur- 

 prising ease and silence. 



I remember hearing tales as a boy of the elephant's 

 beginning to turn early in the morning, and managing to 

 finish his gymnastic performance by mid-day ; the wily 

 hunter, therefore, by keeping behind, him was always safe. 



My own experience is very different from this : I have 

 seen them turn round and crash away through the forest 

 with nearly the rapidity of a large buck; and a man's 

 speed stands but a poor chance in comparison with theirs. 

 In the thick underwood or reeds a man is continually 

 impeded, while an elephant walks through everything 

 with the greatest ease; a horse, however, in open ground 

 gets away from an elephant, especially when going up 

 hill, the weight of the latter being much against it on 

 rising ground. 



The elephant stands very high in the class of wise 

 animals, and, I believe, is as fully susceptible of a moral 

 lesson as is a schoolboy. When a large herd is but seldom 

 disturbed by man, but on each visit five or six elephants 

 are killed, and two or three more die of their wounds, the 

 remainder then have a very great dread of the smell of a 

 biped, and the report of his gun ; but when elephants 

 are disturbed very frequently, and only one shot obtained 

 at them, which wounds and annoys, but may not kill, 

 they become very savage, and, upon smelling their teasing 

 enemy, are at once furious and vindictive. The herds 



