ELEPHANT HUNTING. 545 
glen exhibited a dense and sable living mass—their colossal 
forms being at one moment partially concealed by the trees, 
which they were disfiguring with great strength; and at others 
seen majestically emerging into the open glades, bearing in 
their trunks the branches of trees, with which they indolently 
protected themselves from the flies. The back-ground was 
filled by a limited peep of the blue mountainous range, which 
here assumed a remarkably precipitous character, and com- 
pleted a picture at once soul-stirring and sublime ! 
Our approach being still against the wind, was unobserved, 
and created little alarm, until the herd that, we had left 
behind suddenly showed itself, recklessly thundering down 
the hill to join the main body, and passing so close to us 
that we could not refrain from firing a broadside into one 
of them, which, however, bravely withstood it.. We secured 
our horses on the summit of a stony ridge, «s.d then station- 
ing ourselves at an opportune place on a ledge overlooking 
the wooded defile, sent Andries to maneuvre, so that as 
many of the elephants as possible could pass before us in 
order of review, that we might ascertain by a close inspection 
whether there was not a male amongst them. Filing slug- 
gishly along, they occasionally halted beneath an umbrageous 
tree, within fifteen yards of us, lazily fanning themselves 
with their ample ears, blowing away the flies with their 
trunks, and uttering the feeble and peculiar cry so peculiar to 
Indian elephants. They all proved to be ladies, and most of 
them mothers, followed by their little old-fashioned caives, 
each trudging close to the heels of her dam, and mimicking 
all her motions. Thus situated, we might have killed any 
number we pleased, their heads being frequently turned 
towards us in such a position, and so close, that a single ball 
in the brain would have sufficed for each; but whilst we 
were yet hesitating, a bullet suddenly whizzed past Richard- 
son’s ear, and put the whole herd to immediate flight. We 
had barely time to recede oe a tree, before a party of 
