368 ELEPHANT-HUNT. Chap. XXVIII. 



mud, and the dam was standing fanning herself with her 

 great ears. As I watched them through my glass I saw a 

 long string of my men circumventing them, who, according 

 to Sekwebu, had gone oif, 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 pond of mud, and smeared themselves all over with it, the 

 little one frisking about his dam in elephantine fashion, while 

 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 between the 

 closed hands. They call out to attract the animal's atten- 

 tion — 



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

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

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



Both animals expanded their ears and listened, then left their 

 bath as the crowd rushed towards them. The little one ran 

 forward towards the end of the valley, but, seeing the men 

 there, returned to his dam, who then placed herself on the 

 clanger side of her calf, and passed her proboscis over it again 

 and again, as if to assure it of safety. The men, still shout- 

 ing, singing, and piping, kept about a hundred yards in her 

 rear and on her flanks, until she was obliged to cross a rivulet. 

 The time spent in descending and getting up the opposite 

 bank allowed of their coming up to the edge, and discharging 

 their spears at about twenty yards' distance. After the first 

 discharge she appeared with her sides red with blood, and, 

 beginning to flee for her own life, seemed to think no more of 

 her calf, which soon took refuge in the water, and was killed. 

 The pace of the dam gradually became slower, and at length, 

 turning with a shriek of rage, she made a furious charge 

 back among the men. They vanished sideways, while sno 

 ran straight on through the whole party, without coming 

 near any one except a man who wore a piece of cloth on his 

 shoulders. She charged three or four times 5 and, except in 



