SKETCHES IN THE SOUDAN 61 



had been, and was, one of the favourite hunting-grounds 

 of native hunters, who, agents of collectors of wild animals 

 for the different zoological gardens, spend their lives in these 

 jungles, pursuing patiently the game, and awaiting their oppor- 

 tunity until perhaps some night a mother brought its young to 

 the water-hole, when even the clumsy gun, loaded with coarse 

 powder and angular ball, aimed at a distance of a few yards 

 only, would slay the mother and leave the youngster at the 

 hunter's mercy. A successful night would thus pay him well for 

 many weeks' waiting, and cause great rejoicing among his 

 followers, for he never hunts alone. The ivory, although 

 small in this part of the country, would fetch a certain price 

 among the travelling traders ; the hide would cut up into many 

 squares to be afterwards made into shields, while the flesh, sliced 

 into strips and hung up in festoons on the bushes round the camp 

 to dry, provides food for many a long day. The fat is carefully 

 collected and stored away, afterwards to adorn the heads of many 

 a native, while the young elephant, if delivered safe and sound 

 at Cassala, the agent's place of abode, will, I was told, fetch 

 one hundred dollars. We afterwards met the slayer of this 

 particular elephant, a Bedaween from Arabia, a dirtier man than 

 it has ever been my fate to see, with filthy matted hair, wrapped 

 in a long garment discoloured by age and dirt, and continually 

 smoking a short chibouque. It was difficult to understand how 

 any animal could approach him without being long before warned 

 of his presence by the aromatic atmosphere surrounding him ; 

 but either the sense of smell of the game must be blunted at 

 night, or the hunter had some means when lying out of con- 

 densing and storing the odours, which certainly were always 

 particularly powerful in the morning. His train consisted of 

 four or five men, two donkeys, which carried water, dhurra-bags, 

 and other necessaries, and a pony with a terribly sore back which 

 he himself bestrode. Thus they travelled through the country, 

 making long or short halts, according to the amount of game 

 about, living by the rifle, a very antiquated weapon, and taking 

 to their employer anything likely to command a profit in the 

 European market, unless previously robbed of it and everything 

 they possess on the road. 



This part of the river had evidently been the favourite resort 

 of large numbers of elephants. The green muddy bed of a 



