300: TRAVELS TODISCOVER © 
ing the wood, he received a violent blow from a branch of 
a tree which the elephant had bent by his weight, and, 
after pafling, allowed it to replace itfelf, when it knocked. 
down both the riders, and very much hurt the horfe. This, 
indeed, is the great danger in elephant-hunting; for fome 
of the trees, that are dry and fhort, break, by the violent 
preffure of foimmenfe a body moving fo. rapidly, and fall 
upon the purfuers, or acrofs the roads. But the greateft 
number of thefe trees, being of a fucculent quality, they 
bend without breaking, and return quickly to their former 
pofition, when they ftrike both horfe and man fo violently, _ 
that they often beat them to pieces, and fcatter them upon: 
the plain.. Dextrous, too, as the riders are, the elephant 
fometimies reaches them with his trunk, with which he: 
dafhes the horfe againft the ground, and then fets his feet: 
apon him, till he tears him limb from limb with his. pro-- 
bofcis; a great many hunters die this way. Befides this,, 
the foil, at this time of the year, is fplit into deep chafms,, 
er cavities, by the heat of the fun, fo that. nothing can be: 
more dangerous than the riding.. : 
Tue elephant once flain, they cut the whole flefh off his. 
bones into thongs, like the reins of a bridle, and hang thefe, 
like fefloons, upon the branches of trees, till they become 
perfectly dry, without falt, and they then lay them by for 
their provifion in the feafon of the rains. 
I wrep fay nothing of the figure of the elephant, his form: 
is known, and anecdotes of his life and character are to be: 
found everywhere. But his defcription, at length, is given,. 
with his ufual accuracy and elegance, by that great mafter: 
ef natural hiftory the Count de Buffon, my moft venerable, 
learned, 
