open pit across the path, so as to direct the elephant
by such obstacles into the path of snares. The pits
arc usually about twelve feet long, and three feet
broad, by nine deep; these are artfully made, decreasing
towards the bottom to the breadth of a foot.
The general elephant route to the drinking-plaee being
blocked up, the animals are diverted by a treacherous
path towards the water, the route intersected by numerous
pits, all of which are carefully concealed by
sticks and straw, the latter being usually strewn with
elephants’ dung to create a natural effect.
Should an elephant, during the night, fall through
the deceitful surface, his foot becomes jammed in the
bottom of the narrow grave, and he labours shoulder
deep, with two feet in the pitfall so fixed that extrication
is impossible. Should one animal be. thus
caught, a sudden panic seizes the rest of the herd, and
in their hasty retreat one or more are generally victims
to the numerous pits in the vicinity. The old bulls
never approach a watering-place rapidly, but carefully
listen for danger, and then slowly advance with their
warning trunks stretched to the path before them;
the delicate nerves of the proboscis at once detect the
hidden snare, and the victims to pitfalls are the
members of large herds who, eager to push forward
incautiously, put their “ foot into it,” like shareholders
in bubble companies. Once helpless in the pit, they
are easily killed with lances.
The great elephant hunting season is in January,
when the high prairies are parched and reduced to-
straw. At such a time, should a large herd of animals
be discovered, the natives of the entire district collect
together to the number of perhaps a thousand men ;
surrounding the elephants by embracing a considerable
tract of country they fire the grass at a given
signal. In a few minutes the unconscious elephants
are surrounded by a circle of fire, which, however
distant, must eventually close in upon them. The
men advance with the fire, which rages to the height
6f twenty or thirty feet. At length the elephants,
alarmed by the volumes of- smoke and the roaring of
the flames, mingled with the shouts of the hunters,
attempt an escape. They are hemmed in on ever}'
side—wherever they rush, they are met by an impassable
barrier of flames and smoke, so stifling, that
they are forced to retreat. Meanwhile the fatal circle
is decreasing; buffaloes and antelopes, likewise doomed
to a horrible fate, crowd panic-stricken to the centre
of the encircled ring, and the raging fire sweeps over
all. Burnt, and blinded by fire and smoke, the
animals are now attacked' by the savage crowd of
hunters, excited by the helplessness of the unfortunate