310 TRAVELS IN THE 
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 discharge all their pieces at once, 
and throw themselves on their faces among the grass. The 
wounded elephant immediately applies his trunk to the different 
wounds, but being unable to extract the balls, and seeing no- 
body near him, becomes quite furious, and runs about amongst 
the bushes, until by fatigue and loss of blood he has ex- 
hausted 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 on the ground 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 occasion. 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 successful ; and support 
themselves upon the flesh of such elephants as they kill, and 
wild honey. ' " 
The ivory thus collected, is seldom brought down to the 
Coast by the hunters themselves. They dispose of it to the 
itinerant merchants, who come annually from the Coast with 
arms and ammunition, to purchase this valuable commodity. 
