200 IVORY AND THE ELEPHANT 



that flows from these cuts is received in a vessel and is 

 poured into the muzzles of the guns. At the same time a 

 special form of conjuration, supposed to render the hunter 

 invisible to his quarry, is pronounced. Thereupon the 

 wounds in the arms are dressed with a decoction made from 

 an elephant's trunk and upper lip. In addition to all this 

 they have a form of amulet which, when bound on a hunter's 

 wrist, insures the accuracy of his aim, and if attached to 

 his waist confers invulnerability. This is a little, perfo- 

 rated, wooden rod.* 



The genesis of what has probably already become a bit 

 of local African folklore in regard to an elephant is related 

 by the famous English elephant hunter, James Sutherland. 

 In the course of one of his expeditions into equatorial Africa 

 he came across a fine herd of elephants, but as they got wind 

 of his approach he was only able to bring down one of them, 

 a large bull elephant, with a well-aimed head shot. The 

 animal fell prone upon the ground, apparently mortally 

 wounded. To make sure of his quarry, Sutherland came 

 close up to the elephant and placing the muzzle of his rifle 

 within a foot of its head fired a shot at the correct angle to 

 carry the bullet to the brain. A convulsive tremor passed 

 over the animal's body, the tail stiffened, and the hunter 

 was confident that death had already ensued, or would 

 shortly follow. Therefore, with his native attendants, he 

 took up the trail of the other elephants, but found that he 

 could not hope to overtake them. After an interval of about 

 two hours he sent one of his men back to locate the place 

 of the elephant he had shot; however, in a short time the 

 native returned and announced, with an astonished and 

 mystified air, that the animal was nowhere to be seen. 

 Sutherland then accompanied him to the spot and soon 



*Report of missionary Heese, in Archiv fiir Anthropologie, New Series, Vol. XII, Pt. 2^ 

 pp. 134-146; Braunschweig, 1913. 



