AFRICA. 37 
they perceived It ftretched on the ground, I 
heard them ej^claim repeatedly, and with 
every demonftrgLtlbn ]qj^ poes-kop^ poe^-kop. 
Aftoniflied at this exclamation, the meaning of 
w^hich I did not underftand, I defircd Bafter 
to explain it to me. Heaniwered, that^cc^j*-/^^?^ 
was the name of a particular breed of ele- 
phants, which had no tufl^s, and were very 
rarely to be met with ; and that hence arofe 
the fhouts of joy and furprife that burft from 
my people. Thtk poes-kops^ he added, though 
dcilitute of tufks, were much more dreaded 
than elephants provided with them, becaufe 
they were much more malicious. 
After a thorough examination of thefe ani- 
mals, 1 was fully convinced, that they were 
not a different fpecies of elephant, as Bafter 
had afferted, but a mere variety, or Infos na- 
tnr£3. Experienced hunters have fince in- 
formed me, that, though xh^ pocs-kops are very 
fcarce, they do not fail to meet with fome cc- 
cafionally, and always deftitute of tufks, how- 
ever old they may be. That which my hofh 
had juft killed had not the leaft appearance of 
tulks ; and mod certainly would never have 
had iiny ; forj as I have already obferved, the 
D 3 tufks 
