Hunting Big Game 



729 



Native Drums 



some large beast is being skinned and cut 

 up on an exposed plain. 



"I remember last September that, hav- 

 ing shot a large elephant in surroundings 

 such as I have described, I sat by while 

 the great slabs of skin were removed 

 from the gigantic sides, and the carriers, 

 hastily summoned from the camp and 

 reinforced by people from a neighboring 

 village, proceeded to cut up the vast 

 mountain of flesh. Almost immediately a 

 shadow flitted across the carcass, and 

 looking upward one became aware that 

 the deep blue above was rapidly filling 

 with countless black wheeling specks. The 

 sense of sight possessed by all these birds 

 is incredibly acute, for, during the whole 

 period we were engaged in cutting the 

 elephant up, they continued to congre- 

 gate. The buzzards, kites, and scapulated 

 crows boldly alighted on the grass and 

 on a few neighboring bushes and awaited 

 calmly the moment when we should take 

 our leave, while overhead, at a great 



height, the shyer varieties, including the 

 marabous, large bare-necked (probably 

 Gypoliicra.v) vultures, and screaming 

 fishing eagles continued to hover. 



"At length, all the meat was carefully 

 apportioned, the tusks chopped out, and 

 all that remained of the great elephant 

 were some huge bones and other frag- 

 ments lying in a confusion of trampled 

 internal organs. We started for the 

 camp, but before we had marched 20 

 yards every one of thoge waiting birds 

 was settled upon the remains, while, with 

 a rush like the roar of a war rocket, the 

 greater vultures fell with wings tightly 

 folded from a height of 300 or 400 yards 

 to take part in the feast. The startling 

 noise made by these heavy birds falling 

 head foremost through the air, to check 

 their plunge with outspread wings so 

 close to the ground as to make destruc- 

 tion appear inevitable, was most singu- 

 lar and impressive. 



"Dancing and singing are the principal 



