At Other Times,
These Wily Animals Would Drink In The Settite, And Retire To The
South; Feeding Upon Mek Nimmur's
Corn-fields, they would hurry
forward to the river Salaam, about thirty miles distant, and from
thence, in a similar
Manner, either to the Atbara on one side, or
into the Abyssinian mountains, where, at all times, they could
procure a supply of water. I have frequently discovered fresh
grains of dhurra in their dung, at a great distance from the
nearest corn-field; when the rapid digestion of the elephant is
considered, it must be allowed that the fresh dung found in the
morning bore witness to the theft of corn during the past night;
thus the elephant had marched many miles after feeding. In the
"Rifle and Hound in Ceylon," published in 1854, I gave a detailed
description of the elephants of that country, which, although
peculiar in the general absence of tusks, are the same as the
Indian species.
Although the elephant is found throughout many countries,
extending over an enormous area, there are only two species at
present in existence,--the Indian and African; these are totally
different in their habits, and are distinguished by peculiarities
of form. The most striking difference is in the shape of the head
and spine. The head of the Indian species is perfectly distinct;
the forehead, when held in the natural position of inaction, is
perpendicular; and above the slight convexity at the root of the
trunk there is a depression, in shape like a herald's shield: a
bullet in the lower portion of that shield would reach the brain
in a direct line. The head of the African elephant is completely
convex from the commencement of the trunk to the back of the
skull, and the brain is situated much lower than in that of the
Indian species; the bone is of a denser quality, and the cases
for the reception of the tusks are so closely parallel, that
there is barely room for a bullet to find a chance of penetrating
to the brain; it must be delivered in the exact centre, and
extremely low, in the very root of the trunk; even then it will
frequently pass above the brain, as the animal generally carries
his head high, and thrown slightly back. The teeth of the African
elephant differ materially from those of the Indian, by
containing a lesser number of laminae or plates, the surfaces of
which, instead of exhibiting straight and parallel lines like
those of the Indian, are shaped in slight curves, which increase
the power of grinding. The ears of the African species are
enormous, and when thrown back they completely cover the
shoulders; they are also entirely different in shape from those
of the Indian species. When an African bull elephant advances in
full charge with his ears cocked, his head measures about
fourteen feet from the tip of one ear to that of the other, in a
direct line across the forehead. I have frequently cut off the
ear to form a mat, upon which I have slept beneath the shade of
a tree, while my people divided the animal.
The back of the Indian elephant is exceedingly convex; that of
the African is exactly the reverse, and the concavity behind the
shoulders is succeeded by a peculiarity in the sudden rise of the
spine above the hips. The two species are not only distinct in
certain peculiarities of form, but they differ in their habits.
The Indian elephant dislikes the sun, and invariably retreats to
thick shady forests at sunrise; but I have constantly found the
African species enjoying themselves in the burning sun in the
hottest hours of the day, among plains of withered grass, many
miles from a jungle. The African is more active than the Indian,
and not only is faster in his movements, but is more capable of
enduring long marches, as proved by the great distances through
which it travels to seek its food in the native's corn-fields. In
all countries, the bulls are fiercer than the females. I cannot
see much difference in character between the Indian and the
African species; it is the fashion for some people to assert that
the elephant is an innocent and harmless creature, that, like the
giraffe it is almost a sin to destroy. I can only say that,
during eight years' experience in Ceylon, and nearly five years'
in Africa, I have found that elephants are the most formidable
animals with which a sportsman has to contend. The African
species is far more dangerous than the Indian, as the forehead
shot can never be trusted; therefore the hunter must await the
charge with a conviction that his bullet will fail to kill.
The African elephant is about a foot higher than the average of
the Indian species. The bulls of the former are about ten feet
six inches at the shoulder; the females are between nine feet and
nine feet six. Of course there are many bulls that exceed this
height, and I have seen some few of both species that might equal
twelve feet, but those are the exceptional Goliaths.
The tusks of elephants vary considerably, and there appears to be
no rule to determine a reason for their size and quality. In
Abyssinia and Taka, a single tusk of a bull elephant seldom
exceeds forty pounds, nor do they average more than twenty-five,
but in Central Africa they average about forty, and I have seen
them upwards of one hundred and fifty pounds. The largest that I
have had the good fortune to bag was eighty pounds; the
fellow-tusk was slightly below seventy. Elephants invariably use
one tusk in preference, as we use the right hand; thus it is
difficult to obtain an exact pair, as the Hadam (or servant), as
the Arabs call the working tusk, is generally much worn. The
African elephant is a more decided tree-feeder than the Indian,
and the destruction committed by a large herd of such animals
when feeding in a mimosa forest is extraordinary; they
deliberately march forward, and uproot or break down every tree
that excites their appetite.
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