56 Wild Beasts 



manent injury to extensive woodlands was wrought by 

 these animals. They do not overturn trees, as is popularly 

 believed, and still less do they uproot them. Elephants 

 bend down stems by pressure with their foreheads, and 

 they go loitering about breaking branches, till the place 

 looks as if a whirlwind had passed over it, but these devas- 

 tations are of a kind soon repaired. In the forests of 

 India they have never met with such adversaries, or been 

 exposed to the same dangers, as the species encountered 

 on the " Dark Continent." Some Indian tribes wor- 

 shipped, and all feared them. They passed their lives for 

 the most part in peace, finding food plentiful, ruining 

 much, and finishing nothing. Pitfalls were few and far 

 between ; no weighted darts fell upon them as they passed 

 beneath the boughs, no pigmy savage stole behind as they 

 leaned against a tree boll and woke the echoes of the 

 wood with deep, slow-drawn, and far-resounding snores, 

 to thrust a broad-bladed spear into their bodies, and leave 

 it there to lacerate and kill his victim slowly. Neither 

 were herds driven over precipices, nor into chasms, 

 nor did hordes of capering barbarians come against 

 them with assagais, and scream, while pricking them to 



death, — 



" Oh Chief ! Chief ! we have come to kill you, 

 Oh Chief ! Chief ! many more shall die. 

 The gods have said it." 



All this was common throughout Africa, while in Asia 

 the natives seldom aggressed against elephants except 

 in the way of capturing them. It is true that this was 

 done awkwardly, and often caused injury or death ; but 



