146 



that's it ; 



they are seldom built of more 

 than one story above the base- 

 ment. 



10 



465. 



Sir Grenville Temple says, " That Algiers is 

 daily assuming a more European aspect ; hats 

 are nearly as often seen as turbans, cigars have 

 replaced the long pipes, and the Moorish bazaars 

 give way to the glazed windows of French shops. 

 Upwards of fifty merchants have established 

 counting-houses ; and numerous mechanics and 

 tradesmen, including, of course, a full propor- 

 tion of tailors, modistes, and perruquiers, are 

 thickly scattered about. Eleven grand cafes, 

 with billiard tables ; nine grand hotels ; several 

 restaurateurs; 100 eating-houses; several lite- 

 rary cabinets ; a circus, cosmorama, &c., have 

 been established ; and omnibuses and cabriolets 

 fly through the town, and rim to and from the 

 suburbs." 



The animals of Africa are ex- 

 ceedingly numerous and varied, 

 139. Elephants are plentiful, 

 and are hunted for their tusks, 11, 

 which are larger in the African 

 than in the Asiatic species. The 

 dealers also assert that the ivory 

 obtained from African elephants 

 is of better texture than that 

 from the Asiatic. 



There are certain seasons of the year when 

 the elephants collect in large herds, and traverse 

 the country in quest of food or water ; and as 

 all that part of the country, to the north of the 

 Niger, is destitute of rivers, whenever the pools 

 in the woods are dried up, the elephants ap- 

 proach the banks of that river. Here they con- 

 tinue until the commencement of the rainy 

 season, in the months of June or July ; and, 

 during this time, they are much hunted by such 

 of the Bambarrans as have gunpowder to spare. 

 The elephant hunters seldom go out singly ; a 

 party of four or five join together, and, having 

 each famished himself with powder and ball, 

 iiid a quantity of corn rawl in a leather bag, 



sufficient for five or six days* provision, tftey 

 enter the most unfrequented parts of the wood, 

 and examine, with great care, everything that 

 leads to the discovery of the elephants. In this 

 pursuit, notwithstanding the bulk of the animal, 

 very great nicety of observation is required. 

 The broken branches, the scattered dung of the 

 animal, and the marks of his feet are carefully 

 inspected ; and many of the hunters have, by 

 experience and observation, become so expert in 

 their search, that as soon as they observe the 

 footmarks of an elephant, they will tell almost 

 to a certainty at what time it passed, and at 

 what distance it will be found. When they 

 discover a herd of elephants, they follow them 

 at a distance until they perceive some one stray 

 from the rest, and come into such a situation as 

 to be fired at with advantage. The hunters 

 then approach with great caution, creeping 

 amongst the long grass until they have got near 

 enough to be sure of their aim. They then dis- 

 charge all their pieces at once, and throw them- 

 selves on their faces among the grass. The 

 wounded elephant immediately applies his trunk 

 to the different wounds; but being unable to 

 extract the ball, and seeing nobody near him, he 

 becomes quite furious, and runs about amongst 

 the bushes until, by fatigue and loss of blood, he 

 has exhausted himself, and affords the hunters 

 an opportunity of firing a second time at him, 

 by which he is generally brought to the ground. 

 The skin is now taken off, and extended with 

 pegs to dry ; and such parts of the flesh as are 

 most esteemed are cut up into thin slices, and 



dried in the sun, to serve for provisions on some 

 future occasions. The teeth are struck out with 

 a light hatchet, which the hunters always carry 

 along with them, not only for that purpose, but 

 also to enable them to cut down such trees as 

 contain honey; for though they carry with 

 them only five or six days' provisions, they will 

 remain in the woods for months, if they are suc- 

 cessful, and support themselves upon the flesh 

 of such elephants as they kill, and also wild 

 honey. 



Some of the more important 

 features of this interesting divi- 

 sion of ^the globe have been 

 already noticed in connection 

 with deserts, 132, karroos, 139, 

 &c. 



