AND AMERICAN RURAL SPORTS. 
245 
fatigue. As we came up to the dogs, we discovered the 
ferocious animal lying across a large branch, close to the 
trunk of a cotton-wood tree. His broad breast lay towards 
us; his eyes were at one time bent on us and again on the 
dogs beneath and around him; one of his fore legs hung 
loosely by his side, and he lay crouched, with his ears low- 
ered close to his head, as if he thought he might remain un- 
discovered. Three balls Were fired at him, at a given 
signal, on which he sprang a few feet from the branch, and 
tumbled headlong to the ground. Attacked on all sides by 
the enraged curs, the infuriated Cougar fought with despe- 
rate valour; but the squatter advancing in front of the party, 
and almost in the midst of the dogs, shot him immediately 
behind and beneath the left shoulder. The Cougar writhed 
for a moment in agony, and in another lay dead. 
The sun was now sinking in the west. Two of the hun- 
ters separated from the rest, to procure venison, whilst the 
squatter’s sons were ordered to make the best of their way 
home, to be ready to feed the hogs in the morning. The 
rest of the party agreed to camp on the spot. The Cougar 
was despoiled of its skin, and its carcass left to the hungry 
dogs. Whilst engaged in preparing our camp, we heard 
the report of a gun, and soon after one of our hunters re- 
turned with a small deer. A fire was lighted, and each 
hunter displayed his pone of bread, along with a flask of 
whiskey. The deer was skinned in a trice, and slices placed 
on sticks before the fire. These materials afforded us an 
excellent meal, and as the night grew darker, stories and 
songs went round, until my companions, fatigued, laid them- 
selves down, close under the smoke of the fire, and soon 
fell asleep. 
I walked for some minutes round the camp, to contem- 
plate the beauties of that nature, from which I have certainly 
derived my greatest pleasures. I thought of the occurrences 
of the day, and glancing nay eye around, remarked the sin- 
gular effects produced by the phosphorescent qualities of 
the large decayed trunks which lay in all directions around 
me. How easy, I thought, would it be for the confused 
and agitated mind of a person bewildered in a swamp like 
this, to imagine in each of these luminous masses some 
wondrous and fearful being, the very sight of which might 
make the hair stand erect on his head. The thought of 
being myself placed in such a predicament burst over my 
mind, and I hastened to join my companions, beside whom 
I laid me down and slept, assured that no enemy could ap- 
proach us without first rousing the dogs, which were growl- 
ing in fierce dispute over the remains of the Cougar. 
At daybreak we left our camp, the squatter bearing on 
his shoulder the skin of the late destroyer of his stock, and 
retraced our steps until we found our horses, which had not 
strayed far from the place where we had left them. These 
3Q 
we soon saddled, and jogging along, in a direct course, 
guided by the sun, congratulating each other on the destruc- 
tion of so formidable a neighbour as the panther had been, 
we soon arrived at my host’s cabin. The five neighbours 
partook of such refreshment as the house could afford, and 
dispersing, returned to their homes, leaving me to follow 
my favourite pursuits. — Audubon’s Jlmerican Ornitho- 
logical Biography . 
THE ELEPHANT. 
The human race excepted, the Elephant is the most 
respectable of animals. In size he surpasses all other ter- 
restrial creatures, and in understanding he is inferior only 
to man. Of all the brute creation, the Elephant, the dog, 
the ape, and the beaver, are most admirable for their saga- 
city; but the genius of the dog is only borrowed, being 
instructed by man in almost every thing he knows; the 
monkey has only the appearance of wisdom, and the beaver 
is only sensible with regard to himself, and those of his 
species. The Elephant is superior to them all three; he 
unites all their most eminent qualities. The hand is the 
principal organ of the monkey’s dexterity; the Elephant 
with his trunk, which serves him instead of arms and hands, 
with which he can lift up, and seize the smallest, as well as 
the largest objects, carry them to his mouth, place them on 
his back, hold them, or throw them afar off, has the same 
dexterity as the monkey, and at the same time the tractable- 
ness of the dog; he is like him susceptible of gratitude, 
capable of a strong attachment; he uses himself to man with- 
out reluctance, and submits to him, not so much by force, 
as by good treatment; he serves him with zeal, intelligence, 
and fidelity; in fine, the Elephant, like the beaver, loves 
the society of his equals, and makes them understand him. 
They are often seen to assemble together, disperse, act in 
concert, and if they do not erect buildings, and do not work 
in common, it is perhaps, for want of room only, and tran- 
quillity; for men have very anciently multiplied in all the 
regions inhabited by the Elephant; he consequently lives in 
fear and anxiety, and is no where a peaceful possessor of a 
space large and secure enough to establish his habitation on 
a settled spot. Every being in nature has his real price, 
and relative value; to judge of both in the Elephant, we 
must allow him at least the judgment of the beaver, the 
dexterity of the monkey, the sentiment of the do g> and 
to add to these qualifications, the peculiar advantages of 
strength, size^and longevity. We must not forget his 
arms, or his defence, with which he can pierce through, 
