shallows about half a mile below the pool. Upon
arrival at tbat point, there was a general rush, and
the excited crowd secured the hippo by many ropes,
and hauled it to the shore. It was a very fine
bull, as the shin without the head measured twelve
feet three inches. I had two haunches kept for the
sheik, and a large quantity of fat, which is highly
and deservedly prized by the Arabs, as it is the
most delicate of any animal. Those portions secured,
with a reserve of meat for ourselves, the usual disgusting
scene of violence commenced, the crowd
falling upon the carcase like maddened hysenas.
“In the evening I resolved to watch the dhurra
fields for elephants. At about 9. p .m . I arrived in
the plantations, with three men carrying spare guns,
among whom was Bacheet, who had at length an
opportunity for which he had long yearned. I entrusted
to him the f Baby,’ which he promised to
put into my hands the very moment that I should
fire my second barrel. I carried my own Ceylon
No. 10, made by Beattie. We had not been half
an hour in the dhurra fields before we met a couple
of Arab watchers, who informed us that a herd of
elephants was already in the plantation; we accordingly
followed our guides. In about a quarter of an
hour we distinctly heard the cracking of the dhurra
stems, as the elephants browsed, and trampled them
beneath their feet.
“Taking the proper position of the wind, I led
our party cautiously in the direction of the sound,
and in about five minutes I came in view of the
slate-coloured and dusky forms of the herd. The
moon was bright, and I counted nine elephants;
they had trampled a space of about fifty yards
square into a barren level, and they were now
slowly moving foward, feeding as they went. One
elephant, unfortunately, was separated from the
herd, and was about forty yards in the rear; this
fellow I was afraid would, render our approach
difficult. Cautioning my .men, especially Bacheet,
to keep close to me with the spare rifles, I crept
along the alleys formed by the. tall rows of dhurra,
and after carefully stalking against the wind, I felt
sure that it would be necessary to kill the single
elephant before I should be able to attack the herd.
Accordingly, I crept nearer and nearer, well concealed
in the favourable crop of high and sheltering
stems, until I was within fifteen yards of the
hindmost animal. As I had never shot one of
the African species I was determined to follow the
Ceylon plan, and get as near as possible; therefore
I continued to creep from row to row of dhurra,
until I at length stood at the very tail of the
elephant in the next row. I could easily have
touched it with my rifle, but just at this moment,
it either obtained my wind, or it heard the rustle
of the men. It quickly turned its head half round
' towards me ; in the same instant I took the temple
shot, and, by the flash of the rifle, I saw that it
fell. Jumping forward past the huge body, I fired