distance, at which time we were within a hundred
and fifty yards of the elephant, who had jus't arrived
at the water, and had commenced drinking. We
now crept cautiously towards him j the sand-bank
had decreased to a height of about two feet, and
afforded very little shelter. Not a tree nor bush
grew upon the surface of the barren sand, which was
so deep that we sank nearly to the ankles at every
footstep. Still we crept forward, as the elephant
alternately drank, and then spouted the water in a
shower over his colossal form; hut just as we had
arrived within about fifty yards, he happened to
turn his head in our direction, and immediately
perceived us. He cocked his enormous ears’, gave
a short trumpet, and for an instant he wavered in
his determination whether to attack or fly; hut as
I rushed towards him with a shout, he turned towards
the jungle, and I immediately fired a steady shot at
the shoulder with the “ Baby.” As usual, the fearful
recoil of the rifle, with a half-pound shell and twelve
drachms of powder, nearly threw me backwards ;
but I saw the mark upon the elephant’s shoulder
in an excellent line, although rather high. The only
effect of the shot was to send him off at great speed
towards the jungle; but at the same moment the
three aggageers came galloping across the sand like
greyhounds in a course, and, judiciously keeping
parallel with the jungle, they cut off his retreat,,
and, turning towards the elephant, they confronted
him; sword in hand. At once the furious beast
charged straight at the enemy; but now came the
very gallant, but foolish, part of the hunt. Instead
of leading the elephant by the flight of one man
and horse, according to their usual method, all the
aggageers at the same moment sprang from their
saddles, and upon foot in the heavy sand they
attacked the elephant with their swords.
In the way of sport, I never saw anything so
magnificent, or so absurdly dangerous. No gladiatorial
exhibition in the Homan arena could have
surpassed this fight. The elephant was mad with
rage, and nevertheless he seemed to know that the
object of the hunters was to get behind him. This
he avoided with great dexterity, turning as it were
upon a pivot with extreme quickness, and charging
headlong, first at one, and then at another of his
assailants, while he blew clouds of sand in the air
with his trunk, and screamed with fury. Nimble as
monkeys, nevertheless the aggageers could not get
behind him. In the folly of excitement they had
forsaken their horses, who had escaped from the spot.
The depth of the loose sand was in favour of the
elephant, and was so much against the men that
they avoided his charges with extreme difficulty. It
was only by the determined pluck of all three, that
they alternately saved each other, as two invariably
dashed in at the flanks when the elephant charged
the third, upon which the wary animal immediately
relinquished the chase, and turned round upon his
pursuers. During this time, I had been labouringO; Y 2