Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1898-10-15
HUNTING ELEPHANTS
AN EXCITING ADVENTURE IN THE up
PER KONGO REGION.

The Mad Rush of the Startled Giants
Through the Dense Forest Foliage - A
Shot and a Tumble Into Swamp Hole
Just In the Nick of Time.
Mr.. Herbert Ward rel; es in Cassell's
Magazine some exciting experiences
that befell him in the course of an ele
phant hunt in the forests of Mobunga,
district near the upper Kongo river.
This country. which is inhabited by
Mobunga cannibals, had not been visit
ed by white man before. Having been
successful in reaching a favorite ground
for elephants, his guides left the hunter
at midnight, returning in their canoe.
after houndering about for some
time" he says, 81 at length found an
elephant path. The cane was trodden
into the sodden ground about four feet
in width, and the path led straight
across the middle of the bamboo patch.
On either side of the path the cane grew
SO thickly that found it almost impos-
sible to penetrate. A storm was raging.
l distinctly heard elephants forcing
their way through the forest in order
evidently to reach some open space
where they might be safe from falling
trees.
''In the intermittent flashes of light
ming occasionally got a glimpse of
their great, ghostly forms approaching
the cane patch, and as the storm in
creased in fury the sound of elephants
stampeding in all directions through the
thick mass of bamboos impressed me in
a most uncomfortable manner. Each
moment l feared being trampled. The
f1oundering, heavy footsteps occasional
ly seemed to approach within a few
yards of me, and distinctly heard the
frightened squeals of baby elephants as
they plunged and stumbled in the
swamp.
1.-THE storm ceased as suddenly as it
came, and in the subsequent lull there
was constant dripping of water in the
forest and the sound of falling branches.
The elephants appeared to be standing
motionless, and the air was once again
filled with the eternal music of mosqui
toes.
with the first indication of dawn
my spirits rose, and l carefully wiped
the mud from my rifle with the ragged
sleeve of my shirt. While it was still
too dark to distinguish the surround
ings, I could plainly hear elephants
stirring in all directions. Crawling
some little distance along the sloppy
path, suddenly distinguished the out
line of an elephants head and back cut
ting sharp against the gray morning
sky. 1t was impossible in that light to
estimate distance.
Creeping cautiously forward, l was
startled two or three times by low,
rumbling sound peculiar to elephants,
and which is in some way connected
with their digestion. The cane patch
appeared to be perfect haven of refuge
for elephants during the storm, for Oh
every side there came audible evidences
of their presence.
"When within what judged to lie
20 PAGES of my elephant, was just able
to discern his ears, tiapring spasmod
ically to beat off the mosquitoes and
sand flies that lowered around him, and
his trunk swinging listlessly among the
trampled cane, as if i'll search of some
thing edible. Gradually noticed a GER
tain restiveness, as though the animal
was conscious of danger. Raising his
trunk in the air, he shifted in various
directions until his head was turned
straight toward me.
Realizing that my presence was dis
covered and that there was not an in
slant to lose, l took steady aim at his
left shoulder and fired. The recoil of
my eight bore rifle knocked me back
ward, and as struggled in the cane en-
tangled slush, enveloped in smoke, l
was conscious of a deafening uproar. The
rifle report echoed strangely through the
forest, and the startled elephants charg-
ed madly forward in every direction,
crashing through the dense foliage like
giant locomotives.
by the time l regained my feet and
had run aside to be clear from the
smoke found my elephant slowly ris-
ing from the ground, By this time l
was within Is PAGES of the beast and
fully realized the necessity of firing a
fatal shot. Trem bling with excitement,
fired point blank at the animal S fore
head, and, quickly STOPPING below the
smoke, caught sight of jet of blood
squirting from the wound, while the
ponderous beast slowly sank to the
ground again-dead.
"Reloading in haste, took two snap
shots at an elephant rushing past me,
without other effect, however, than to
stop his progress. He stood for a mo-
ment gazing at me and twitching his
tail. Owing to wet or dirt found diff
Guilty in opening my rifle, and in spite
OF frantic efforts could not make the
lever act. l can we'll recall the feeling
of blank despair when the wounded
beast, with coiled trunk and ears erect,
rushed forward with a shrill scream.
81 darted aside and fortunately fell,
lost to view in a swamp hole, complete
ly covered with a mass of vines and
branches. There l lay breathless for
some moments, listening to the foun-
behring's of the wounded elephant At
length the noise died away, and with
daylight all was still again.