Tne Elcpiiant. 149 



superior in toughness and flavour to ordinary shoe- 

 leather. 



The foot is baked in a somewhat curious fashion. 

 A fire is lighted upon the ground, and allowed to burn 

 itself out. A hole is then dug beneath the spot, and 

 the foot is inserted, being then covered up with the 

 warm earth. A second fire is now lighted, which is 

 also suffered to burn itself out, and when the earth is 

 thoroughly cool, the process is complete, and the 

 dainty in perfect order for the table. 



Until the advent of firearms, the slaughter of an 

 elephant was only a very occasional event with the 

 natives, who were either obliged to follow it for days, 

 attacking it with their spears at every opportunity, 

 until the animal fell from sheer exhaustion and loss of 

 blood, or to trap it by means of pitfalls. 



These latter are still employed, being dug in the 

 paths of the animals, and covered over with boughs 

 and earth to imitate the surrounding surface. With 

 the old and experienced leaders, however, these pre- 

 cautions are of little avail, for the crafty animals test 

 every inch of ground with their trunks before trusting 

 '.heir weight upon it. 



Should one of the animals, however, be unfortunate 

 enough to fall into the snare, it has no chance what- 

 e' rer of escape, a sharp upright stake being fixed in the 

 centre of the pit, upon which the luckless creature is 

 impaled by its own weight. 



In their wild and free state, it is probable that ele- 

 phants live to a very great age, and even when 

 domesticated, appear to be long-lived animals ; there 

 have been several apparently well-authenticated 

 instances of these animals attaining the age of two 

 hundred years. 



