222 
SPORT AND WAR. 
CHAP. XXIII. 
CHAPTER XXIII. 
THE ELEPHANT-HUNT ; OR, ROYAL SPORT: 
SOUTH AFRICA—1867. 
In August 1867, H.M.S. 4 Galatea’ arrived at the Cape 
of Good Hope, under the command of His Royal High¬ 
ness the Duke of Edinburgh. Within a few hours of 
his arrival Sir Walter Currie and myself received a 
telegram at Graham’s Town from the Secretary for the 
Cape Colony, informing us that the Duke wished to 
see us if possible before he proceeded en route to 
Australia, which he proposed doing in a very few days. 
We decided, therefore, to start at once for Cape Town, 
a distance of 700 miles, which we performed in three 
nights and four days. 
This was hard work, as the only railway at the Cape 
did not lead in this direction, and the greater part of 
this road was an ordinary wagon-track. The conveyance 
which carried us was the common 4 post-cart,’ a vehicle 
on two wheels, and sometimes without springs, drawn 
by two or four horses, according to the stage. This 
cart travels as fast as horses can go, both night and day, 
without stopping for one moment, except to put in 
