80 
AFEICAN HUNTING. 
busli. I was in great excitement, filled my ban¬ 
dolier with about twenty-four bullets, re-filled two 
powder-flasks, took an infinity of caps, and two guns, 
which most unfortunately happened to contain but 
small charges of powder (three and a half drachms), 
as I had not expected elephants, and had no means 
of drawing the bullets without firing, which would 
have started them instantly. Oh, for a breech-loader ! 
In this dilemma, I determined on firing at his knee, 
if I could not get a side-shot between the ear and 
the eye. When all was in readiness, I looked up 
again, and saw about fifteen elephants, one ap¬ 
parently with long white teeth, which I set my mind 
on securing. I kept well below the wind, and came 
within 100 yards of them, when my Amatonga guide 
declined proceeding farther. It was rather nervous 
work, going up alone, as I saw them breaking 
off huge boughs of trees, which crashed all around. 
I went up stealthily, however, within thirty yards of 
a large cow, but, not liking her teeth, was proceed¬ 
ing with the utmost caution to inspect some of the 
others, and endeavour to find the one I had seen at a 
distance, with the long white tusks, when, to my 
horror and mortification, I heard My barking in the 
middle of the troop. In a moment they were off, 
smashing everything before them, in a great state of 
alarm. I ran about six miles after them, through 
the bush, and came up with three of them. I gave 
one a shot behind the shoulder, but they all made 
off, and I saw no more of them ; and, though I 
