disappeared in the thick jungle, through which it
was impossible to follow them.
I had suffered terribly from the hooked thorns,
and the men likewise. This had been a capital
trial for my Tokrooris, who had behaved remarkably
well, and had gained much confidence by my
successful forehead shot at the elephant when in
full charge ; but I must confess that this is the
only instance in which I have succeeded in killing
an African elephant by the front shot, although
I have steadily tried the experiment upon subsequent
occasions.
Florian had not had an opportunity of firing a
shot, as I had been in his way, and he could not
pass on one side owing to the thorns.
We. had very little time to examine the elephant,
as we were far from home, and the sun was already
low. I felt convinced that the other elephant could
not be far off, after having received the “ Baby’s ”
half-pound shell carefully directed, and I resolved to
return on the following morning with many people
and camels to divide the flesh. It was dark by the
time we arrived at the tents, and the news immediately
spread through the Arab camp that two
elephants had been killed.
On the following morning we started, and, upon
arrival at the dead elephant, we followed .the tracks
of that wounded by the “.Baby.” The blood upon the
bushes guided us in a few minutes to the spot
where the dead elephant lay dead, at about 300-
yards distance. The whole day passed in flaying
the two animals, and cutting off the flesh, which
was packed in large gum sacks, with which the
camels were loaded. I was curious to examine the
effect of the half-pound shell: it had entered the
flank on the right side, breaking the rib upon which
it had exploded; it had then passed through the
stomach and the lower portion of the lungs, both
of which were terribly shattered, and breaking one
of the fore-ribs on the left side, it had lodged beneath
the skin of the shoulder. This was irresistible work,
and the elephant had evidently dropped in a few
minutes after having received the shell.
The elephant killed by the Reilly rifle No. 10,
with a conical bullet of quicksilver and lead, propelled
by seven drachms of powder, had entered the
exact centre of the forehead of elephant No. 1, and,
passing completely through the brain and the back
part of the skull, we found it sticking fast in the
spine, between the-shoulders. These No. 10 Reillys*
were wonderfully powerful rifles, and exceedingly
handy; they weighed fourteen pounds, and were
admirably adapted for dangerous game. I measured
both the elephants accurately with a tape: that
killed by the “Baby” was nine feet six inches from
the forefoot to the shoulder, the other was eight feet
three inches. It is a common mistake that twice the
* They are now in England at Mr. Eeilly’s, No. 215, Oxford
Street,, having accompanied me- throughout my expedition, and
they have never been out of order.