ELEPHANT HUNTING. 543 



most impracticable country, intersected by a succession of 

 rocky declivities. From the highest peak we saw several 

 herds of buffaloes, and whilst descending came upon the 

 tracks of a huge elephant that had passed about an hour 

 before. This being the largest foot-print we had seen, I had 

 the curiosity to measure it, in order to ascertain the animal's 

 height — twice the circumference of an elephant's foot being, 

 it is notorious, the exact height at the shoulder. It yielded 

 a product of about twelve feet, which, notwithstanding the 

 traditions that have been handed down, I believe to be the 

 maximum height attained by the African elephant. 



We followed the trail across the Saut river, which had now 

 considerably subsided, and finding that it proceeded eastward 

 along the mountain chain, returned to our encampment for 

 horses and ammunition. 



Leaving the wagon to proceed to a spot agreed upon, we 

 again took the field about ten o'clock, and pursued the track 

 indefatigably for eight miles over a country presenting every 

 variety of feature. At one time we crossed bare stony ridges, 

 at another threaded the ititricacies of shaggy but dilapidated 

 forests ; now struggling through high fields of waving grass, 

 and again emerged into open downs. At length we arrived 

 among extensive groups of grassy hillocks, covered with loose 

 stones, interspersed with streams, and occasional patches of 

 forest, in which the recent ravages of elephants were sur- 

 prising. Here, to our inexpressible gratification, we descried 

 a large herd of those long-sought animals, lazily browsing at 

 the head of a distant valley, our attention having been first 

 directed to it by the strong and not to be mistaken effluvia 

 with which the wind was impregnated. Never having before 

 seen the elephant in his native jungles, we gazed at the sight 

 before us with intense and indescribable interest. Our feel- 

 ings on the occasion even extended to our followers. As for 

 Andries, he became so agitated that he could scarcely articu- 



