Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1889-04-18
A TRAGIC EPISODE.
Seven Men Killed by Five Elephants
in an African Forest.

The story of very trasical elephant
hunt has Just been told by Captain
Brosseland of the French army, who
served a while ago on the Commission
which determined the boundary between
French Senegambia and Portuguese
New Guinea.
Arriving on the banks or the NO
Grande, Captain Brosseland requested
! the natives to take him on an elephant
hunt. They promised to do so as soon
as elephants were reported IN the nei9il-
/ borhood. A few days later some natives
came rushing into the village and said
they had seen the track of a young ele-
plant, and, as they saw no other tracks,
they thought the rest of the herd must
be on the other side OF the little kollba
River. Their experience told them that
the young elephant would not remain
long away from the rest of the herd.
Captain Brosseland happened to be alb
sent from the village. and the hunters
could not await his return. So eight OF
them set out after their prey, and the
fact that Brosseland was left behind was
the luckiest incident of his life.
The eight hunters had plenty of pow
der and ball and big English muskets
which they could load to the muzzle.
Through the tangle of vines and thick,
cts they travelled until they struck the
trail. Suddenly they came upon a
clearing where they saw the animal,
almost a baby elephant, before them.
They We're astonished that its COM
panions had left it alone. The young
brute, scenting danger, began to make
tracks for the forest. Several shots
were fired at it, and the sorely wounded
animals loud cries of distress echoed far
through the forest.
The hunters started toward the ele-
plant, keeping, however, in the edge of
the timber, where they would be less
exposed TO an offensive sally from their
victim. All of sudden they heard cries
responding to those Of the Young ele-
plant. The hunters at once compre-
hended that they were in danger. The
other elephants were not far off, and
were running IN answer to the cries OF
their comrade. The blacks Immediately
abandoned their victim, which had fall
en- 10 the ground. They could hear be
hind them the cracking of the under
growth as the ponderous animals
fastened to the scene.
Unfortunately for the hunters they
ran into tllicket OF thorny shrubs,
through which they could not force their
way. After desperate effort to get
through, they were compelled, with
bleeding limbs, TO turn back and seek
some better route. They had gone but
a few steps when they saw five elephants
rushing toward them. Further flight
was impossible, and so with their eight
guns they blazed away at the enemy.
The bullets hit the mark, but the ele-
plant is hard 10 kill By front shot, and
the animals with redoublcd fury rushed (
upon the helpless men.
Seven of the meu were lifted high in
the air ON the trunks OF the animals, and
then dashed to the ground, broken
against the trees, and crushed under
foot. One man made his escape, and
hurried back to the village, whose
people we're horror stricken at his
recital. A strong party was sent out to
the scene of the tragedy. The seven
victims were found so terribly mutilated
that their own relatives could hardly
them. One of the five ele-
plants was on the ground so seriously
wounded that he could not move. The
Young elephant whose cries had
brought the comrades that so terribly
avenged it, was dying, and the others
had disappeared