Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1895-03-04
HUNTING THE ELEPHANT.
WORRIED TO DEATH BY A MULTI
TUDE OF WOUNDS.
How the IkafIlrs of South Africa
XIII the Big Game-Cutting Up
the Carcass.

the wary caution which they can al
ways exercise when in pursuit of
game, they find out the animal which
possesses the finest tusks and mark all
his peculiarities; they then watch the
spot where he treads, and by means of
a lump OF soft clay they take an i'm
preston of his foot-marks. Their rea-
son for doing SO is simple enough,
viz, that if they should have to chase
him they may not run the risk of con-
founding his footmarks with those of
other elephants. The sole of every
elephants foot is traversed by mum.
Der of indented lines, and in no two
specimens are these lines alike. The
clay model of the footprints serves
them as guide whereby they may as
sure themselves that they are on the
right track whenever they come to the
neighborhood of water, where the
ground is soft, and where tho foot
prints of many elephants are sure to
be found.
Their next endeavor is to creep near
enough to the elephant to infict Sc
we're wound upon it, an object which
is generally attained by number OF
the dark hunters gliding among the
trees and simultaneously hurting their
spears at the unsuspecting animal
The wounded elephant is nearly GER
tain to charge directly at the spot
from which he fancies that the assault
has been made, and his shrek of min
gled rage and alarm is sure to cause
the rest of the herd to rush off in ter
ror. The hunters then try by various
stratagems to isolate the wounded ami
NAL from its comrades, and to prevent
him from rejoining them, while at
every opportunity assagais are
thrown, and the elephant is never
permitted to rest.
As wounded elephant always makes
for the bush, it would bo quite safe
from white hunters, though not so
rom the 1.-the Kaffirs, who glide
through the underwood and between
the trees faster than the elephant can
push its way through them. Every
now and then it will turn and charge
madly at Its, foes, but it expends its
strength in vain. as they escape by
n1mbly jumping behind trees, or in
critical cases by climbing up them,
Knowing that an elephant never seems
to comprehend that foe can be any
where but on. the ground.
In this kind of chase they are much
assisted by their dogs, which bark in
cessantly at the animal and serve to
distract it's attention from the hun
ters. The elephant has strange ter
ror of small animals, and especially
breads the dog, SO that when it is
making up its mind to charge in one
direction the barking of a contempti-
BILE little cur will divert it from its
purpose and enable it's intended victim
either to secure himself behind tree
or TO become the assailant and add an
other spear to the number already
quivering in the animals vast body.
The slaughter of an elephant by this
mode of hunting is always long and
cruel process. However powerful may
be the practised aim OF Kaffir, and
sharp as may be his weapon, he can
not drive it through the inch-thick
hide into vital part, and the conse-
quence is that the poor animal is liter
Gry worried to death by multitude
of wounds, singly insignificant, but
collectively fatal. At last the huge
victim falls under the loss of blood,
and great are the rejoicings if it should
happen to sink down in the ordinary
kneeling posture, as the tusks can then
be extracted with comparative ease,
and the grove of spears planted in it's
body can be drawn out entire, whereas
when the elephant falls on one side
all the spears upon that side are shat
tered to pieces, and every one must
be furnished with shaft.
The first proceeding is to cut off the
tail, which is valued as u trophy, and
the next Is to carve upon the tusks
the name of the hunter to whom they
belong, who is always the man who in
ficted the first wound. The next pro.
oeeding is to cut largo hole in one
side, into which number of Kaffirs
enter and busy themselves Dy taking
out the most valuable parts of the an
imal. The inner membrane of the
skin is saved for water sacks. which
are made in very primitive manner,
large sheet CT the membrane being
gathered together and sharp stick
thrust through the corners. The
heart is then taken out, cut into con-
yenient pieces, and each portion
wrapped in a piece of the ear.
If the party can encamp for the
night on the spot, they prepare
royal feast by baking one or two of
the feet in the primitive but most eff
tective oven which is in use not only
IN Southern Africa, but in many other
parts of the world.
A separate oven is made for each
foot, and formed thus: A hole is dug
in the ground considerably larger than
the foot which is to be cooked, and q
fire is built in it. As soon as it burns
up, large heap of dry wood is piled |
upon it and suffered to burn down.
When the heap is reduced to mass OF
glowing ashes the Kaffirs scrape out |
tbp harp hxy- 90