Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-09
HUNT|NG ELEPHANTS
Shooting Big Animals in Afri-
can JungIes.
DANGEROUS MONSTERS.
Active in Their Movements and
Savage in Their Charges.
DELICATE SENSE OF SMELL
Habits of the Beasts-Like to For
age at Night on Corn Crops
of the Natives
DELICATE SENSE OF SMELL

| OF all big game hunting, that OF ele-
plant shooting is undoubtedly the finest.
| The risk and excitement which form the
attra ction for the true sportsman are in
the case of elephant greater than that OBJ
| tanned in the chase of any other animal.
The hunter nowadays proceeds on foot,
and must trust to his own agility and re-
source to escape from an awkward en-
counter. During the day the elephant is
not quick-sighted. depending on his ex-
traordinary keen sense of smell to warn
him of approaching danger. which. as a
rule he does his utmost to avoid, stealing
away quietly through the forest. his great
! feet making little sound, or, when sur
prised by danger close at hand, dashing
through the trees and bushes at top
speed. At night he is usually more pug
nacious. and will trumpet angrily If the
villagers make noise to brighten him out
of their corn. on which he delights to
! feed. On these nocturnal visits he will
! approach closely to the huts, and stand
/ listening before starting to feed, and
should any native be rash enough to
| leave the shelter of his hut the elephant
will charge him should he catch sight of
him. Having satisfied his appetite for
produce, he quietly leaves the lands and
strolls . into the forest pulling down
\
at the young leaves. Thorn trees of the
mimosa variety he is especially fond of,
ana coiling his trunk around 1t, by the
| aid of hiss tuSkS he levels the entire tree
use in digging up the roots of certain
trees and in stripping the bark off Others
Likes Fruit.
| In the fruit season he goes from tree
to tree. shaking down the ripe fruit, often
standing on his hind legs to reach
| branches thirty feet from the ground
During the night he sleeps. as rule. for
a few hours. either standing or lying
on his side against convenient ant-hill
mound, his movements in lying down and
| rising being similar to those of a horse.
After his short sleep he feeds again he
makes his way to his favorite drinking
pool, where. having drunk and washed
| himself he rubs his back against the
more for more sustenance. Toward 10
o'clock in the day he makes his way
gradually into thick Jungle or bush.
/ where, under some leafy tree, he sleeps
till afternoon, when once more he sallies
| out to feed The path he makes through
grass or jungle is only some eighteen
inches wide. he swings his fore and
hind feet on the same side into direct
/ line in front of those on his other flank.
When alarmed or charging he makes q
clean sweep of everything in his way as
| regards perpendicularity, but the broken
trees. bushes and branches lie in OBJ
IStructing masses for his unfortunate pur-
suers. If necessary, he can do without
visiting a waterhole or river for two or
three days. owing to the reservoir for
water in his huge forehead. This is
convenient provision of nature for the
| dry season. AS he walks. his huge
ears, like four-foot fans, wave gently
to and fro. keeping off the singing flies
that annoy him. Though a huge, un-
| wieldy-looking animal, the elephant is
| capable OF marvelously rapid action. es-
pecially in charging his enemies. and in
changing his direction he exCels himself,
whipping round like teetotum even when
at full speed When about to charge, he
draws himself back with ears extended
and trunk straight out in front. then with
| q terrific trumpet scream. more aWein-
spring than the roar of lion. he dashes
| forward like a bolt from the blue"
Hard to See Him.
Or account of the size Of the elephant
have not hunted him that there should
be any difficulty in coming across these
animals or even in seeing them at a
short distance, especially in districts
where they are numerous; but the forests
| which they frequent are as rule, full
Of small trees, whose branches. mingliDg
| with the long grass, form an effective
| screen to sight in all directions. and the
color OF the elephant resembles SO closely
that Of the tree trunks that 1t Is difficuk
| to distinguish him when seen through the
| leaves.
| Having arrived at a village where we
had been informed that elephants were
| wasting the gardens. we pitched our camp
! short distance from the huts of the
| jumbo, or head man. Just as the evening
meal was ready the villagers, headed by
the jumbo, paid us second visit. stating
that elephants were in the lands, and de-
/ string us to so down and shoot them.
| 1t was not night suitable for the pur-
| pose. being dark as pitch and raining
| heavily; but as there were signs Of the
moon breaking through at any moment
we decided to risk it, and accordingly
descended to the sloppy gardens in the
valley. 1t was a hopeless expedition, as
| the moon did not break through and the
| mataina native corn was over fifteen
! feet high; SO, having floundered about for
! half an hour and heard the low grOwl
| Of an elephant somewhere in our vicinity.
| we turned back. much to the disgust Of
| the jumbo, who, however. had not VEN
| tured to be q member of the party him.
sell Next morning we were up before
daylight and breakfasted while boys were
| looking for the spoor where the elephant
| had left the lands. Soon we were fol-
| lowing up the spOor into the forest, hav-
| ing ascertained that it was made by a
| big bull. which spoor was joined by that
OF two other bulls before we had gone
| very far. We kept good lookout on both
sides, as we'll as In front, as elephants
| X suspicious of being followed will make
a half circle from the former direction
| in which they had been moving. and,
| concealed by trees walt for the advent
Of their pursuers following up the spoor
| On catching sight or smell of their ad-
versaries the elephant will charge, which
is danger to be avoided IL possible.
| On the Trail
| After some hours patient ploddihg the
spoor led into bamboo thicket, which
We did not know the extent Of, and the
suspense became intense, as at any mo-
ment, with a terrifying trumpet scream
| be on US. A bird rising with a fiutter
made our hearts jump. and when sudden
ly startled antelope rushed through the
quickly bringing rifles to the ready. Hav-
ing ascertained that the disturber of our
peace was only an antelope, we proceed
| ed once more. fervently hoping that the
| thicket would soon come to an end. But
our troubles were not over; the sky be-
| came dark and rain fell heavily. 1t was
on a day in the rainy season that this
hunt took place. and We were soon under
| a terrific downpour. yainly trying to
keep our rifles and cartridges dry by shell
| terng under the bamboos In a dry river
bed into which the spoor had led us.
/ With first tricke and then a rush. the
river suddenly began TO flow. we having
just time to race along the river bed
ming right into our quarry. Up the
4 greasy hank a. Climbed and wit n relief