352 AN ELEPHANT SHOT. 



80° to 84° at sunset. The sensation, however, as before 

 remarked, was not disagreeable. 



14th. — We entered a most beautiful valley, abounding in 

 large game. Finding a buffalo lying down, I went to 

 secure him for our food. Three balls did not kill him, and, 

 as he turned round as if for a charge, we ran for the shelter 

 of some rocks. Before we gained them, we found that 

 three elephants, probably attracted by the strange noise, 

 had cut off our retreat on that side : they, however, turned 

 short off, and allowed us to gain the rocks. We then 'saw 

 that the buffalo was moving off quite briskly, and, in order 

 not to be entirely balked, I tried a long shot at the last of 

 the elephants, and, to the great joy of my people, broke his 

 fore-leg. The young men soon brought him to a stand, 

 and one shot in the brain despatched him. I was right 

 glad to see the joy manifested at such an abundant supply 

 of meat. 



On the following day, while my men were cutting up 

 the elephant, great numbers of the villagers came to enjoy 

 the feast. We were on the side of a fine green valley, 

 studded here and there with trees and cut by numerous 

 rivulets. I had retired from the noise, to take an observa- 

 tion among some rocks of laminated grit, when I beheld 

 an elephant and her calf at the end of the valley, about 

 two miles distant. The calf was rolling in the mud, and 

 the dam was standing fanning herself with her great ears. 

 As I looked at them through my glass, I saw a long string 

 of my own men appearing on the other side of them, and 

 Sekwebu came and told me that these men had gone off, 

 saying, " Our father will see to-day what sort of men he 

 has got." I then went higher up the side of the valley, in 

 order to have a distinct view of their mode of hunting. 

 The goodly beast, totally unconscious of the approach of 

 an enemy, stood for some time suckling her young one, 

 which seemed about two years old : they then went into a 

 pit containing mud, and smeared themselves all over with 

 it, the little one frisking about his dam, flapping his ears 



