Ill 
THE ELEPHANT 
99 
upon the same track when nightly approaching the 
usual spot for drinking or for a bath. It is there¬ 
fore a simple affair to intercept their route by a series 
of deep pitfalls dug exactly in the line of their 
advance. These holes vary in shape; the circular 
are, I believe, the most effective, as the elephant 
falls head downwards, but I have seen them made 
of different shapes and proportions according to 
the individual opinions of the trappers. 
It is exceedingly dangerous, when approaching 
a river, to march in advance of a party without 
first sending forward a few natives to examine the 
route in front. The pits are usually about 12 
or 14 feet in depth. These are covered over 
with light wood, and crossed with slight branches 
or reeds, upon which is laid some long dry grass ; 
this is covered lightly with soil, upon which some 
elephant s dung is scattered, as though the animal 
had dropped it during the action of walking. A 
little broken grass is carelessly distributed upon the 
surface, and the illusion is complete. The night 
arrives, and the unsuspecting elephants, having 
travelled many miles of thirsty wilderness, hurry 
down the incline towards the welcome river. Crash 
goes a leading elephant into a well-concealed pitfall! 
To the right and left the frightened members of the 
herd rush at the unlooked-for accident, but there are 
many other pitfalls cunningly arranged to meet this 
sudden panic, and several more casualties may arise, 
which add to the captures on the following morning, 
when the trappers arrive to examine the position of 
