The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1873-09-13
Elephant Hunting.

Ihe private papers Of Charles John An
derson, the English hunter who lost his
life in the wilds Of Africa, have recently
been published, and are full Of thrilling
interest His experience in elephant
hunting was very extensive, and his obser-
vations convinced him that this animal,
sagacious as he is, is very far from being
the harmless creature which most people
suppose him to be, when hunted in
wild state. In one Of his papers Ander-
son says
That in countries where he is left al
together undisturbed, he is peacefully in
clined, not only towards the brute creation,
but to mankind l can readily believe but
in those where he is subject to molestation,
he can hardly be said to retain his inno-
cuousness, as instances innumerable are on
record, both in Africa and elsewhere. of
his attacking travellers and others who
have not offended him in any way. But
whether or not the elephant is the harm
less creature he is represented by many,
certain it is that to the sportsman he is
the most formidable Of all the beasts, the
lion not excepted, that roam the African
wilds. The life of the professed elephant
hunter is one Of great peril and privation,
and there are few who engage in it that
do not, sooner or later, go to the wall
" l was surprised to hear D say SO"
writes Mr.. Rose, ''that it was his wish to
leave his present life, and to settle down
quietly on his farm. Indeed | said, i
should have thought that this wild pursuit,
and your former dangerous trade THAT Of
smuggler) would render quiet life
somewhat sleepy Il have a wife now,
and shall have children he replied, and
have been driven to this by debt and ne
cessity. | have nearly got over my diff
culties, for, in twenty months, | and nv
Hottentots have killed eight hundred ele-
plants; four hundred of them have fallen
by this good gun, and when l am free |
quit it. Scores Of times have the ele-
plants charged round me, even within
q yard Of the bush under which | had
crcpt; and feel that it was chance that
| was not crushed. Once had fred at
large troop in deep rayine, one side of
which was formed by steep cliff, which
echoed back the sound of the firing, and
hundred elephants with upraised ears,
and loud screams, and tossing trunks, rush
ed down the narrow pass, and charged the
echo, being the opposite side to that where
we stood when we fired, and the one to
which we had now moved; myself and
Hottentots lying in the bush whilst they
rushed past us. The boldest hunter Is
killed at last. When pursued by rhinoc-
eros | have sprung down a high bank, not
knowing its depth, or whether l might not
fall on rock or stump. No, sir; Il is a
life of no common hardship and danger.
| have been obliged to eat the yeldtschoon
(untanned leather shoes from my feet
"The daring of some of these elephant
hunters almost exceeds credence. One of
the most remarkable instances on record is
that given by Thompson, on the authority
GA relative Of the hero Of the story, a
man named Marie, famous Nimrod, who.
in his day, had slain upwards Of forty Of
these animals AT conyiyial meeting of
friends and neighbors to celebrate New
Years Day, when the company were heat
ed with liquor, and each one had boasting-
ly related deeds Of hardihood he himself
had performed, Marie laid wager that he
would go into the forest, and pluck three
hairs from out of the tail of living ele-
phant! This extraordinary feat he ac-
tually performed, and returned safely with
the trophy to his comrades. But not sat-
isfed with this specimen of his audacity,
he laid another bet that he would return
and shoot the same animal on the instant.
He went accordingly with his mighty
'Roer, but never came back again. He
had approached too incautiously, and his
first shot not proving effective, the ennged
creature rushed upon him before he could
reload or make his escape, and having
thrust its tremendous tusk through the
poor fellows body, trampled him to a
cake"