674 PROBOSCIDEA. 



my steed, but to hold on by the bridle. Fortunately, however, the dogs 

 took off the attention of the elephants ; and just as they were upon me 

 I managed to spring into the saddle, where I was safe. As I turned 

 my back to mount, the elephants were so very near, that I really ex- 

 pected to feel one of their trunks lay hold of me. Returning to the 

 charge, I was soon once more alongside, and, firing from the saddle, 1 

 sent another brace of bullets into the wounded elephant. Colesberg 

 was extremely unsteady, and destroyed the correctness of my aim. 

 The ' friend ' now seemed resolved to do some mischief, and charged 

 me furiously, pursuing me to a distance of several hundred yards. I 

 therefore deemed it proper to give her a gentle hint to act less officiously, 

 and accordingly, having loaded, I approached within thirty yards, and 

 gave it her sharp, right and left, behind the shoulder ; upon which she 

 at once made off with drooping trunk, evidently with a mortal wound. 

 Two more shots finished her: on receiving them she tossed her trunk 

 up and down two or three times, and falling on her broadside against a 

 thorny tree, which yielded like grass before her enormous weight, she 

 uttered a deep hoarse cry and expired." For all elephant-shooting, 

 leaden bullets are not to be relied on. Cumming used a two-ounce 

 ball hardened with one-eighth lead. Shell-bullets also have been used 

 with terrible effect. 



Sir Samuel Baker describes the method of hunting pursued by the 

 Aggageers or hock-cutters in Abyssinia. A party of seven, of which he 

 was one, had started a fine bull elephant. It at once retreated, but when 

 the hunters again drew near, it halted and faced them. 



" ' Be ready, and take care of the rocks ! ' said Taher Sherrif, as I rode 

 forward by his side. Hardly had he uttered these words of caution, 

 when the bull gave a vicious jerk with its head, and with a shrill scream 

 charged down upon us with the greatest fury. Away we all went, helter- 

 skelter, through the dry grass which whistled in my ears, over the 

 hidden rocks, at full gallop, with the elephant tearing after us for about 

 a hundred and eighty yards at a tremendous pace. I was not sorry 

 when it gave up the hunt. We now quickly united and again followed 

 the elephant, that had once more retreated. Then came the tug of war. 

 Taher Sherrif came close to me and said, ' You hao better shoot the 

 elephant, as we shall have great difficulty in this rockv ground.' This 

 I declined, as I wished to end the fight as it had been commenced, with 

 the sword ; and I proposed that he should endeavor to drive the animal 



