ELEPHANT-HUNTING IN ABYSSINIA AND INDIA. 



717 



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. His relief may- 

 be imagined, when he saw the whole length of the under part of the enormous brute 

 pass over him, leaving him perfectly unhurt. 



In Abyssinia the elephant is hunted in an original manner. The men, who make 

 this their chief occupation, dwell constantly in the woods, and live entirely upon the 

 flesh of the animals they kill. They are exceedingly agile and dextrous, both on 

 horseback and on foot ; indispensable qualities, partly inherited and partly acquired by 

 constant practice. Completely naked, to render their movements more easy, and to 

 prevent their being laid hold of by the trees and bushes ; two of these bold huntsmen 

 get on horseback ; one of them bestrides the back of the steed — a short stick in one 

 hand, the reins in the other — while behind him sits his companion, armed with a sharp 

 broad-sword. As soon as they perceive a grazing elephant, they instantly ride up to 

 him, or cross him in all directions if he flies, uttering at the same time a torrent of 

 abuse, for the purpose, as they fancy, of raising his anger. With outstretched trunk 

 the elephant attempts to seize the noisy intruders, and following the perfectly trained 

 horse, which, springing from side to side, leads him along in vain pursuit, neglects flight 

 into the woods, his sole chance of safety, for while his whole attention is fixed on the 

 rapid movements of the horse, the swordsman, who has sprung unperceived from its 

 back, approaches stealthily from behind, and with one stroke of his weapon, severs the 

 tendon just above the heel. The disabled monster falls shrieking to the ground, and 

 incapable of advancing a step, is soon dispatched. The whole flesh is then cut ofl" his 

 bones into thongs, and hung like festoons upon the branches of trees till perfectly dry, 

 when it is taken down and laid by for the rainy season. 



The Asiatic elephant inhabits Hindostan, the Chin-Indian peninsula, Sumatra, Bor- 

 neo, and Ceylon. In the latter island especially, he was formerly found in incredible 

 numbers, so that thirty years ago, an English sportsman killed no less than 104 ele- 

 phants in three days. Major Rogers shot upwards of 1,400 ; Captain Galloway has 

 the credit of slaying more than half that number ; Major Skinner almost as many, and 

 less persevering aspirants follow at humbler distances. A reward of a few shillings 

 a head, offered by the government for taking elephants, was claimed for 3,500 de- 

 stroyed in part of the northern provinces alone, in less than three years prior to 1848, 

 and between 1851 and 1856 a similar reward was paid for 2,000 in the southern 

 provinces. In consequence of this wholesale slaughter, it cannot be wondered at that 

 the Ceylon elephant has entirely disappeared from districts in which he was formerly 

 numerous, and that the peasantry in some parts of the island have even suspended the 

 ancient practice of keeping watchers and fires by night to drive away the elephants 

 from the growing crops. The opening of roads, and the clearing of the mountain- 

 forests of Candy for the cultivation of coff'ee, have forced the animals to retire to the 

 low country, where again they have been followed by large parties of European 

 sportsmen ; and the Singhalese themselves being more freely provided with arms than 

 in former times, have assisted in the work of extermination. The practice in Ceylon 

 is to aim invariably at the head ; and, generally speaking, a single ball planted in the 

 forehead ends the existence of the noble creatures instantaneously. 



In India and Ceylon, elephants have been caught and tamed from time immemorial, 

 and when we compare their colossal strength with the physical weakness of man, it 



