ELEPHANT HUNTING. 547 
the spot. The whole herd dashed through the can.p, causing 
indescribable consternation amongst cattle and followers, but 
fortunately no accident occurred; and after the fatiguing 
day’s work we had undergone, we were not sorry to find 
ourselves at home. 
Watery clouds hung about the sun as he set heavily behind 
the mountains. Loud peals of crashing thunder rent the 
air, and ere it was yet dark, we had a repetition of yesterday’s 
storm; the river roaring past us with frightful fury; troops 
of elephants, flying from the scene of slaughter, passed close 
to our wagons during the darkness, their wild voices echoing 
amongst the mountains, and sounding like trumpets above 
the tempest. It was impossible to keep the fires burning; 
and the oxen and sheep were alarmed to such a degree that 
they broke from the kraal, and sought safety in the wilder- 
ness. Tired as I was, the excitement I had undergone 
banished sleep from my eyes. I ruminated on the spirit- 
stirring events of the day, and burned with impatience to 
renew them. Heedless of the withering blast that howled 
without, I felt that my most sanguine expectations had been 
realited, and that we had already been amply repaid for the 
difficulties, privations and dangers that we had encountered 
in our toilsome journey towards this fairy-land of sport. 
It was still raining heavily when the day gloomily dawned. 
The mountain torrents having overflowed their banks, the 
valley in which we were encamped had become a continuous 
pool of water, and those of our followers who had slung 
their hammocks beneath the wagons, were partially sub- 
merged. High-roads had been ploughed through the mire 
by the passage of elephants, and whole acres of grass, by 
which we had been surrounded the preceding evening, had 
been completely trampled down. Soon after sunrise it cleared 
up, and the cattle having been recovered, we armed a party 
with hatchets, and proceeded on foot to cut out the teeth of 
