264 TRAVELS IN 
word alone infpired me with a ftrong defire to 
fee. them, and feemed to promife the acquire-? 
ment of frefli knowledge ; for I had never r^acj 
or heard that there were red elephants. 
When thefe animals retired into the woods, 
they had reached a deep hollow, furrounded 
by enormous bufhes, where it would not have 
been prudent to approach too near them. I 
therefore ordered fome Hottentots to file off* 
behind, and to form a ring ; bidding them 
fet fire, at certain diftances, to the dry grafs ^ 
and to difcharge fome fhots, to make them 
pafs by the bottom of a large rock, upoa 
which I had pofted myfelf with my beft markf- 
men, and where we could be expofed to nQ 
kind of danger. 
My rangers feconded my efforts in a won- 
derful manner ; for as foon as the fires and 
the noife of the reports had fpread the alarm, 
the whole troop, frightened, prefented them- 
felves before me. A dozen of fhots, which 
they did not expedl, made them retreat with 
precipitation, and in the greateft diforder. I 
fhould in vain attempt to defcribe the number- 
lefs figns which they exhibited of their fury : 
on one fide they faw them felves purfued by 
the flames of the bufhes, which gained 011 
them 
