Chap. XXVIU. MR. OSW ELL'S ESCAPE. 369 



the first instance, never went farther than 100 yards. She 

 often stood after she had crossed a rivulet, and faced the men, 

 though she received fresh spears. It was by this process of 

 spearing and loss of blood that she was killed, for at last, 

 making a short charge, she reeled and sank down dead in 

 a kneeling posture. I did not see the whole hunt, having 

 been tempted away by both sun and moon appearing un- 

 clouded. I turned from tho spectacle of the destruction of 

 these noble animals, which might be made so useful in Africa, 

 with a feeling of sickness, unrelieved by the recollection that 

 the ivory was mine. 



The furious charges of this elephant remind me of an 

 adventure of one who has had more narrow escapes than any 

 man living, but whose modesty has always prevented him 

 from publishing anything about himself. When we were on 

 the banks of the Zouga in 1850 Mr. Oswell pursued one of 

 these animals into the dense thorny bushes on the margin 

 of the river ; as he followed through a narrow pathway, 

 he saw the elephant, whose tail he had but got glimpses 

 of before, now rushing towards him. There was then no 

 time to effect a passage ; the hunter therefore tried to dis- 

 mount, but in doing this he was thrown on the ground with 

 his face upwards to the elephant, which, being in full chase, 

 still went on. Mr. Oswell, seeing the huge fore foot of the 

 animal about to descend on his legs, parted them, and drew 

 in his breath as if to resist the pressure of the other foot, 

 which he expected would next descend on his body. He 

 saw the whole length of the enormous brute pass over him, 

 and escaped unhurt. 



The first elephant killed by my men was a male, not full 

 grown ; his height at the withers was 8 feet 4 inches, and the 

 circumference of his fore foot 44 inches. Tho female, which 

 was full grown, measured in height 8 feet 8 inches, the 

 circumference of the fore foot being 48 inches. These details 

 are given with the view of showing that the general rule, that 

 twice the circumference of the fore foot equals the height of 

 the animal, is not of universal application ; for, in the first 

 instance, double the circumference falls short of the height by 

 twelve inches, and in the second instance by eight inches. 

 Subsequent observations, however, proved the general correct- 



