The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-03-28 00:00:00

ELEPHANT HUNT.

After what has occurred recently at Exeter Change, the
following description by Major Denham of an Elephant
Hunt aucHis result', msy not he unitertiting:—
'• My friend Tired% the thous Generalissimo, had tong pro-
mised to kill me an elephant. as lie expressed himself ; and this
day, about noon, a messenger cam,: to our huts, saying, that after
hunting an enormous nude elephant for live hours, they had at
length brought him to a stand, near Nee, about ten miles north
rest of Kook& 111 r. Toole and myself instantly mounted our
horses, and. accompanied by a Shnuaa guide, we arrived at the spot
where be had fallen, just as he breathed his rut. Although not
I more than 23 years old, his ttrk measuring barely four feet six
inches, he WWI an immense fellow. His dimensihrs were as under:
Ft. In.
Eimqth from the proboscis to the tail 25 6
Prolio.cis
Small teeth
}'not long i tud - 1 7
Eye 2 by 11
From the foot to the hip hone . - 9
From the hip bone to the back . 3 0
Ear

" I had seen much larger elephants than this ulive, when on my
last expedition to the Tatted; some I should have guessed sixteen
feet in bci,hr, and with a tusk probably exceeding six fret in
length. The c)..e berme me, which was: the first I had seen dead,
was, however, cough:civil as of more than common bulk and sta-
ture; and it w.ts not utit'l the Kanenilooo of the town of Bree came
out, and by attracting his atteuticn with their yells, and teasing
him by hurling spear* at his n:ore tender parts, that the Shouaas
dared to iliamouut, when, Ly Ifmnstringiug the poor animal, they
brought him to the ground, and erentually despatched him by re-
peated wounds in the abdomen and proboscis; five leaden bullets
tied struck him about the haunches in the course of the chase, but
they-luad merely penetrated a few inches into his flesh, and appeared
to gist him but little uneasiness. The whole of the next day, the
road leading to the spot where belay was like a fair, from the num.
buts who repaired thither for the sake of bringing off* part of the
flesh, which is esteemed by all, and even eaten in secret by .he first
people about the nbeikh; it looks coarse, but it is better flavoured
than any beef found in the country. Whole families nut them.
selves in motion, with their daughters mounted on bullocks, on
this occasion, who at least hoped us much would fall to their share
as wouht ahent their heads and persons plentifully with grease
at the illproaching Sug. The eyes of this noble animal were.
though an extremely small in proportion to his body, laneuid
and expressive even in death. Ilia head, which was brought in
the town, I had an opportunity off seeing the next day, when I
I had it opened; and tots smallness of the brain is in direct con.
tr.diction to the hypothesis that the size of this organ is in
proportion to the ategaciousness of the animal. Ilia skin was a
full Inch end a halt in thickness, and shirk grey or nearly black,
hard and wrinkled ; his ears, large and hanging, appeared to me
the most extraordinary part about him, particularly front the
facility with which' he moved them backwards and forwards.
His fillet ;14 round, undivided, and have tour nails or hoofs, for
they Altfliot be called toes, two in the front of the foot, about an
inch Id depth, and two hitches in Length, which join each other with
two mpaller ones on each side of the foot. In Africa they are
*meetly ever taken alive, but hunted as a sport for the sake of their
I flesh; and also in order to obtain their teeth. which, however, as
they are general', mall, are sold to the merchants for a very tri-
fling proh t. The manner of hunting the eleplum is simply thi.:
—From ten to twenty horsemen single out one of these p inderous
animals, and, separating bitn from the flack by screaming and hal-
looing, form him to fly with all his speed ; after wounding hint
undo, the tail, if they can there place a spear, the animal becomes
enraged. Ore horseman then rides in front, whom he pursues with
earnestness and fury, regardless of those who press on his rear, not-
witbetsbding the wounds they inflict on him. lie Is seldom drawn
from this first object of his pursuit, and at last, wearied and trans-
fixed with spears, hip blood deluging the ground, he breathes his
last mean the kr.ile of some more venturesome hunter titan the
rest; whe buries his dagger in the vulnerable part near the abdo-
men; fbr tills purpose, he will creep between the astieure binder
legs, and apparently expose himself to the gmemet danger ; when
this mom be accomplished, one or two wilt hemstring him while
he is bated in the front ; and this giant of quadrupeds then be-
comes as easy prey to his persecutors."