Chap. XXYIH. ELEPHANT-HUNTING. 561 



game. Finding a buffalo lying clown, 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 observation 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 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 dis- 

 tinct 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 and tossing his trunk incessantly, in elephantine fashion. 

 She kept flapping her ears and wagging her tail, as if in the 

 height of enjoyment. Then began the piping of her enemies, 

 which was performed by blowing into a tube, or the hands closed 

 together, as boys do into a key. They call out to attract the 

 animal's attention — ■ 



" chief ! chief ! we have come to kill you. 

 chief! chief! many more will die besides you, &c. 

 The gods have said it," &c. &c. 



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