Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-09-14
CAPTURING ELEPHANTS.

md deliver them on board ship at Quiloa
Our party consisted Of three white men and
forty-two natives, and We bad seven horses
and SIX teams Of halloeks Among the ma
tives were several fellows who had hunted
the big game with white men, and who wers
pretty thoroughly posted as to the creatures
habits. 1t would have been almost as easy
TO shoot an elephant ~ a buffalo, but to cap
ture one alive and get him down TO the coast
waa q different matter Had we had
couple Of tame elephants the task would
have been far more simple. but there was
nothing Of the kind In that part Of the coun-
try took from the ship q large supply OF
ropes, chains, tackle, straps, blocks and what
ever else might come handy, and as soon AZ
we had established our camp we began t.
look around for game.
Almost every species of wild beast makes
some particular spot its home for a longer or
shorter period In Africa every quadruped
is constantly on the move and II limited at
all it is to a large section Of country instead
Of a particular strip The gnu. Gland, ante.
Iope, deer and buffalo go in large droves and
never seem to tire, and the elephant will not
remain in any particular locality more than
day unless there are strong reasons for it
We had our camp in a thick grove about two
miles from forest through which We knew
elet,hants ranged. and orders were given
against firing guns or moving about more
than was necessary An elephant will take
the alarm as quick as a deer, and when once
frightened he may not cool down for hours
After a couple of days four or five Of US
made a scout to the forest, and we were de
lighted to find evidences that it was favor
lite resort The forest was a strip about nine
miles long and two miles wide. thrusting
itself down into great plain like a tongue.
About opposite our camp 1t narrowed to q
width Of half a mile. and further down it
was cut short of, though there were groves
scattered all over the plain.
We were rejoiced to find that this strip OF
forest was IA veriAble highway for the ele-
plants passing back and forth, while the foil
age WAS their choicest food We spent two
whole days getting the lay Of the forest for
several miles, and we finally selected a par
ticular spot to work on. II was In the mar
rowest portion of the strip, and here we dug
two pits and concealed them nicely that
the sharpest native would have mistrusted
nothing. When all was ready we retired
from the forest and posted native in the
nearest grove to act as sentinel for the re-
mainder of the day, This grove was about
an acre in extent, with the trees standing
very thick and were about moving of,
after nstructing the native, when we heard
trumpet blast and mighty rush. The
blast Of a mad elephant in his native wilds is
sound never to be forgotten Each one OF
us Instantly realized that we had come upon
an old rogue" and that we were in deadly
peril An elephant who has become crank
aud deserted his troop or been driven away Is
more dangerous than any other living thing.
His sols thought is to destroy, and he loses all
sense of fear
Had we been mounted we could have scat
tered and outrun him, but we were all on
foot. and our only safety was in sticking to
the grove When we heard him coming we
lodged right and left and hurried deep into
the grove The old fellow had the eyes of a
lynx. and. wheeling from his first charge, he
seemed determined to hunt us all down.
Each one of us lodged on our own account,
thus distracting his attention, but he finally
pursued one Of the natives closely that the
man had to take to a tree. He didn't have
his choice, either, and was unfortunately
driven to shelter in tree about as large
around rs mans body He was barely out
of reach when the mad brute arrived at the
trunk was in a much larger tree about
forty feet away, and could plainly see the
carrying heavy tusks, and he was mad all
over. file tried hard to push the tree over,
and though he could not succeed he shook
the native around so as to give him bad
fright
In order to call the brute off fred at him
several times with a revolver Each bullet
hit him. but OF course did no damage. He.
however. refused to leave the tree, and after
standing for a moment in thought he put his
shoulder against 1t, surged forward. and, after
swaying back and forth half a dozen times,
the tree broke short of about ten feet from
the ground The native was expecting it,
and as the top crashed through the trees he
caught at limb and pulled himself into a
large tree. The elephant soon became aware
of his escape and likewise recognized the fact
that all Of us were out Of his reach, and, after
trumpeting bis disappointment, he slowly re-
tirel and gave us opportunity to come down
We left the grove Us quietly as possible and
made haste back TO camp Wemust move at
once The rogue" elephant does not travel
about r''':rh. and his being in the grove was
menace 10 tis Should he discover our camp
he would attack us of hand We at once
hitched up our teams, struck our tents and
removed to grove two miles away. While
not entirely safe here might escape OBJ
servation. Ou two sides Of US the approach
Was uarshy, while on the others 1t was rather
broken Next day after our removal it
rained, and none of us left the grove.
On the morning Of the second day, just a.
we were rolling out of our blankets. cry
from half dozen natives alarmed the camp
As turned my eyes in that direction. and
beheld a sight which made my hair stand on
end That rogue elephant was on the plain
about half mile away and making . bee
line for our camp He was swinging his
uuna In an angry way, and his speed ~
something sea rifle. Three or four Of u
srang for our rifles, but he would have been
among US before we could have fired shot
had not an accident happened BE charged
1t Us over the uiarshy ground, and two hun
dred feet from the wagons the ground grew
% soft that be sank to his knees, noundered
ahead few feet. and then rolled over on his
left side, He was out of breath with his run
and his tall. and then was the time to take
him A. he lay there roaring his dismay ana
anger, we got out the ropes and ctsins and
dashed for his legs Wegot nooses over both
hind legs and carried the free ends to the
nearest tree. and then we had the old fellow
for sure he was 70 mad that be actually
shell tears, and be trumpeted until he tired
u1 n8cnlue OUT AFTER we mad MIN faSt
every man cut a stick, and for two hours we
beat every part Of the beast we could reach
Moreover, We walked on him, kicked him
called him names, and degraded him In every
possible way THIS was by the advice Of the
natives, who said that It would soon break
his spirit and cause him to give up. All day
long the monster lay on bis side in the muck
boiling over with rage, but helpless He put
In the night there, too, and next morning his
spirit was broken We cast the moose free
from one leg. got pry under his hips, and
after an hours hard work put him on his fee,
and got him to solid land The ight had al.
been taken out Of him, and he would cover
whenever any one shook club at him When
the natives washed him up q dozen great scazs
were revealed ON his shoulder and TANKS q
proofs that be was fighter, and my head
man, Who had lived In the elephant country
all bin dayx computed the beasts age at 40
yearA
No animal becomes docile and tractabie a.
quick - the elephant He must be conquered
by fear, and when once be gives in you have
only an occasional tAntrum t. look out for.
We kept right At our captive, nogging and
bulldozine and giving him To understand
that We were bon, and at the end OF three
days be was - humble q pie We could
make no Ne Of him - Q hunter, a We bad
no rig, and = none Of the men had had any
experience IN driving an elephant; but We
sbouh have no trouble in getting him to ths
cnaAf, and b. wns worth several thouunud
dollarA
Il uH IN days after biz capture that one
a our scouts brought word that n troop Of