ELEPHANT HUNTING. 542 
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 intricacies 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 expressible 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- 
