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MAN KILLED BY AN ELEPHANT.

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Presently a kind of hunting-horn was sounded, and the chase began. Parties were stationed at different parts of the barrier or "tangle," as we will call it, which had an astonishing extent, and must have cost much toil to make. Others stole through the woods in silence and looked for their prey.

When they find an elephant they approach very carefully. The object is to scare him and make him run toward some part of the barrier-generally not far off. To accomplish this, they often crawled at their full length along the ground, just like snakes, and with astonishing swiftness.

The first motion of the animal is flight. He rushes ahead almost blindly, but is brought up by the barrier of vines. Enraged, and still more terrified, he tears every thing with his trunk and feet. But in vain; the tough vines, nowhere fastened, give to every blow, and the more he labors the more fatally he is held.

Meantime, at the first rush of the elephant the natives crowd round; and while he is struggling in their toils they are plying him with spears, till often the poor wounded beast looks like a huge porcupine. This spearing does not cease till they have killed their prey.

To-day we killed four elephants in this way. It was quite an exciting time to the natives, though I confess of less interest to me after I had seen the first killed. It seemed monotonous, and somewhat unfair; nevertheless, there is sufficient danger about it. The elephants about here have the reputation of holding man in slight fear, and the approach and attack are work for the greatest courage and presence of mind. Even then fatal accidents occur. To-day a man was killed. I was not present at the accident, but he seems to have lost his presence of mind, and, when the ele phant charged with great fury at a crowd of assailants, he was caught and instantly trampled under foot.

When his companions saw that he was dead, they in turn grew furious, and actually pursued the elephant, which was making its escape, charged upon it, and so beset it with spears that in a few minutes it was dead. I never saw men so excited with rage. They began even to cut the dead animal to pieces for revenge. They have certain precautionary rules for these hunts, which show that they understand the animal. For instance, they say you must never approach an elephant but from behind, as he can not turn very fast, and you have time to make your escape

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A CANNIBAL "GRACE BEFORE MEAT."

after firing. Great care is necessary that the vines, which are so fatal to the elephant, do not also catch their enemies. I was told that it was not unfrequent for a man to be thus hopelessly entangled, and then deliberately killed by the elephant. Often it becomes necessary for the pursuers to retreat, and, as they can scarce outrun the great heavy animal, at such times all hands take refuge in trees, which they climb with astonishing swiftness -almost like monkeys. Even then, however, a man must select a stout tree; and Ndiayai told me of a case where a small sapling was pulled down by an enraged beast, and the occupant had a narrow escape for his life.

Now followed the rites with which they offer thanks for a good day's hunt to the idol who, in their belief, guides their fortunes. Without these preliminary rites no meat is touched.

First comes the whole party and dances around the elephant, while the medicine or greegree men cut off a portion—invariably from one of the hind legs-of each elephant. This was the meat intended for an offering to the idol. This meat was put into baskets, afterward to be cooked under the direct superintendence of the greegree man and the men who killed the particular animal. Finally, the whole party danced about the baskets and sung songs to their idol, begging for another such good hunt as this

one.

The king was of opinion that if this ceremony were neglected they would get nothing next time; but thought their songs and dances would please the idol, who would give them even more elephants in future.

The sacrificial meats are taken into the woods, where it is. probable they regale some panther-if the shrewd medicine-man does not himself come and eat them. And the body of the poor fellow who was killed to-day is, I am told, to be sent to another Fan village, to be sold and eaten. This seems the proper and usual end of the Fans.

The elephants were cut up the next day, and the meat was all hung up to be smoked, which these natives understand how to do.

The persistence with which the elephant in this part of the country sticks to a spot which affords him such leaves as he best likes, is very remarkable. It is in part, probably, from a scarcity of his favorite trees. I have seen them remain for days in the immediate vicinity of such a set of fences as I have described,

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where the natives, of course, each day killed some. Sometimes, too, they will almost enter the towns, pulling down the small trees, and breaking branches off the larger, to get the food which best suits their taste. Often, however, they leave a neighborhood at the first attack, when the natives follow and make new fences.

They have another way, which I saw used in the woods this day, and have often seen since, to kill elephants. They discover a walk or path through which it is likely that a herd or single animal will soon pass. Then they take a piece of very heavy wood, which the Bakalai call hanou, and trice it up into a high tree, where it hangs, with a sharp point, armed with iron, pointing downward. It is suspended by a rope, which is so arranged that the instant the elephant touches it—which he can not help doing if he passes under the hanou-it is loosed, and falls with tremendous force on to his back, the iron point wounding him, and the heavy weight generally breaking his spine.

It is generally supposed that the elephant is found only in the plains; but, from various observations in this region, I conclude that the animal also frequents the mountains and rough high country. Their tracks are frequently met with among the mountains, and several times I have scarcely been able to believe my eyes when I saw plainly the footprints of the huge animal in spots which it could only have attained by the ascent of almost precipitous hill-sides-ascents which we found it difficult to make ourselves.

The elephant meat, of which the Fan seem to be very fond, and which they have been cooking and smoking for three days now, is the toughest and most disagreeable meat I ever tasted. I can not explain its taste, because we have no flesh which tastes like it; but it seems full of muscular fibre or gristle, and when it has been boiled for two days, twelve hours each day, it is still tough. The flavor is not unpleasant; but, though I have tried at different times to accustom myself to it, I found only that my disgust grew.

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It rained all the time we were in the bush, which made me rather glad when the time came for our return to the town, where I once more got on dry clothes and slept in a dry place.

As we were returning, I learned from the king a very curious particular of the Fan customs, which I did not suspect any of

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