Animal Life in South Africa. 43 



Again, his powers of passing- over difficult ground are 

 often underrated even by hunters. When experiments were first 

 made* in India in training elephants to draw the guns, it was 

 observed with surprise that the animal's powers of ascending 

 steep and rugged ground were far greater than had been anti- 

 cipated. The gun, a light six-pounder, with which the trial 

 was first made, was drawn up a slope so steep as to 

 require the animal to crawl upon its four knees, without 

 hesitation. On the other hand, hampered by the gun and 

 harness, the elephant (a small female) showed unusual dread 

 of soft and swampy ground. In Africa, marshes do not seem 

 to possess the same terror for these animals in their wild 

 state, for if they offer tempting pools, however uncertain the 

 footing may be, the elephants appear to find a track across 

 them.f In the river courses too, deepened as they are by the 

 torrents of the rainy season many yards below the surface of 

 the surrounding country, and having banks nearly perpen- 

 dicular, small shady pools close sheltered from the sun's rays, 

 often remain in the hot season when the rest of the stream 

 has disappeared, and to these, should no other way be open, 

 may be found tracts of the animals, leaving no doubt they 

 have reached the coveted water by slipping down on their 

 posteriors. In what position the hinder legs are placed 

 during this operation we cannot tell, but the " spoor " leaves no 

 doubt of its having been repeatedly adopted in places apparently 

 inaccessible. 



The elephants generally remain in the thickest part of the 

 forest during day, making for the water, to which they often 

 go long distances, shortly before midnight, and returning to 

 cover some hours before dawn. We may here remark, that 

 although these animals, owing no doubt to their acute sense 

 of hearing and of scent, have never been surprised in a 

 recumbent position, there is ample proof that the bulls at any 

 rate, usually rest lying on their sides. The late Mr. Gordon 

 Cumming was, we believe, the first to note this fact, which we 

 can ourselves confirm. He remarked that the sides of the 

 enormous ant heaps so common in this region, were appa- 

 rently preferred, and that the ground was often distinctly 

 marked with the impression of the under tusk as well as of the 

 animal's body. 



The influence of the particular tract of country in which 

 they are found upon these animals, and the influence which 



* About thirty jears ago by a committee of Indian Artillery officers. Elephants, 

 we muy remark, had been previously used in assisting the gun teams by pushing 

 with their heads, and aiding with their trunks, and not by drawing in harness. 



f Elephants, like the generality of wild animals, take the water readily and 

 swim well. Even baboons, though unwilling to do so, will on emergencies, swim 

 with strength and rapidity, although with a queer and somewhat ludicrous action. 



