MAKES TRACKS THROUGH THE JUNGLE. 
297 
up a hill. At the extremity of the path was a Kraal., 
consisting of a dozen huts, inhabited by CafFres, 
who were all sunk in profound sleep. These huts, 
unfortunately, were unprotected by a dry thorn 
fence. The leading elephant, probably by mistake, 
crushed one of these huts. The inhabitants uttered 
fearful cries; the animal then took fright; but in¬ 
stead of returning the way he came, he, followed 
by his comrades in succession, passed at a rapid 
pace over the hut, whereby four persons were 
crushed to death by their feet.” 
We read, moreover, that when on one occasion 
there was a great drought in the country about 
Benzuela, on the West Coast of Africa, a large 
herd of elephants attacked the town, to get pos¬ 
session of the wells, and were only driven away 
by the inhabitants after a hard fight. 
But though the elephant, from the destruction he 
causes in the forest, and the ravages he occasionally 
commits on the properties of the Colonists and 
others, has a somewhat bad name, yet, as a set 
off, he makes excellent path-ways, or tracks, through 
the entangled jungle. Many of these, indeed, have 
proved of the greatest advantage to the pioneer of 
civilization. I, for my own part, have frequently 
taken advantage of them, for, besides being wide and 
open, they are wonderfully straight, so much so 
that in many instances it would be difficult to im¬ 
prove upon them. 
As with the lion, the natives of Southern Africa 
entertain many very curious notions respecting the 
elephant. According to popular belief the animal. 
