THE ELEPHANT OF AFRICA. 
]31 
(/root / ’ — or, as one of them translated it, ‘ a 
hugeous terrible fellow, plenty, plenty big!’ 
“ The Elephant at first did not seem to notice 
us, for the vision of the animal is not very acute, 
and the wind being pretty brisk, and we to the 
leeward of him, his scent and hearing, though 
keen, had not apprised him of our approach. 
But when we turned off at a gallop, making a circuit 
through the bushes to avoid collision with him, 
he was startled by the sound of our horses’ feet, 
and turned towards us with a very menacing atti- 
tude, erecting his enormous ears, and elevating 
his trunk in the air, as if about to rush upon us. 
Had he done so, some of us would probably have 
been destroyed ; for the Elephant can run down 
a well mounted horseman in a short chase ; and, 
besides, there was another ugly defile but a little 
way before us, where the only passage was a diffi- 
cult pass through the jungle, with a precipice on 
one side, and a wooded mountain on the other. 
However, the ‘ gruwzaam harl,’ fortunately, did 
not think proper to give chase, but remained on 
the same spot, looking steadfastly after us ; well 
pleased, no doubt, to be rid of our company, and 
satisfied to see his family all safe around him. The 
latter consisted of two orthree females, and as many 
young ones, that had hastily crowded up behind 
him from the river margin, as if to claim his pro- 
tection, when the rushing sound of our cavalcade 
startled their quiet valley.” 
