light, and agile, both on horfeback and fo o t ; are very fwar-
thy, though few o f them black; none o f them woolly-head-^
ed and all o f them have European features. They are called
Agageer, a name o f their profefiion, not o f their nation,
which comes from the word Agar, and fignifies to hough or
ham-ftring with a lharp weapon. More properly it means,
indeed, the putting the tendon o f the heel, and is a charac-
teriftic o f the m anner in which they k ill the elephant, which
is fliortly as f o l l o w s T w o men, abfolutely naked, without
any rag or covering at all about them,; get on horfeback ;
this precaution is from fear o f being laid hold o f by; the
trees or buflh.es, in making their efcape from a very watchfu
l enemy. One o f thefe riders fits upon, the back o f the
horfe, fometimes with a faddle, and fometimes without one*
with only a fw itch or fhort ftickiii one hand, carefully manag
ing the bridle with the other-; behind, him fits his
campanion, who has no other arms but a broad-fword,
fuch as is ufed by the Sclavonians, and which js brought
from Triefte. His left hand is employed grafping the fword
by the handle, and about fourteen inches o f the blade is
covered with whip-cord. This part he takes in his right
hand, without any danger o f being hurt by it ; and, though
the edges o f the lower part o f the. fword: are as fliarp as. a
razor, he carries, it without a fcabbard..
As foon as the elephant is found feeding, the horfeman
rides before him as near his face as poflible; or, i f he flies,
croffes him in all directions, c r y i n g out, “ I am fuch a
man and fuch a m a n ; this is my horfe, that has fuch a
n ame ; I killed your father in; fu ch 'a place, and your
grandfather in fuch another place, and I am now come
to. k ill y o u ; you are but an afsiin companion of. them.”
i , This,
This nonfenfe he verily believes’ the elephant underftands,
who, chafed and angry at hearing the noife immediately,
before him, feeks tofeizethim with his trunk or probofeis,
and, intent upon this’, follows the 'horfe everywhere, turnin
g and turning round with; him, negledtful o f making
his efcape b y running ftraight forward, in wjiichxonfifts
his only fafety.- *After having made him turn once or twice;
in purfuit of, the horfe; the horfeman rides clofe up a-
long-fide o f him, 'and drops his companion juft behind on
the off fide ; and while he engages the elephant’s attention
upon the horfe, the footman behind gives him a drawn
ftroke ju ft above the heel, or what in man is called the.
tendon of, Achilles. This is the critical m oment; the horfe*:
man immediately wheels round, and takes his companion
up behind him, and rides off fu ll fpeed after the reft o f the
herd, i f thfey have ftartcd more than o n e ; and fometimes
an expert Agageer will k ill three out o f one herd; .I f ; .the
fword is good, and the man not afraid, the tendon is commonly
entirely feparated; and i f it is -not cut through, it is
generally fo far divided,' that the animal; with the ftrefs he
puts upon it, breaks the remaining part afunder. In either
cafe, he remains incapable o f advancing a ftep, till the horfeman
returning, or his companions coming up, pierce him
through with javelins and lances; he then falls to the ground;
and expires with the lofs o f blood.
T h e Agageer neareft me prefently lamed his elephant,
and left him Handing. Ay to Engedan, Ayto Confu,Guebra
Mariam, and feveral others, fixed their fpears in the other,
before the Agageer had cut his tendons. My Agageer,
however, having wounded the firft elephant, failed in the
purfuit o f the fecond, and, being clofe upon him at enter?
P p 2 ing