The Hunters Then Approach
With Great Caution, Creeping Amongst The Long Grass, Until They Have Got
Near Enough To Be Sure Of Their Aim.
They then discharge all their pieces
at once, and throw themselves on their faces among the grass.
The wounded
elephant immediately applies his trunk to the different wounds, but being
unable to extract the balls, and seeing nobody near him, becomes quite
furious, and runs about among the bushes, until by fatigue and loss of
blood he has exhausted himself, and affords the hunters an opportunity of
firing a second time at him, by which he is generally brought to the
ground.
The skin is now taken off, and extended on the ground with pegs, to dry;
and such parts of the flesh as are most esteemed are cut up into thin
slices, and dried in the sun, to serve for provisions on some future
occasion. The teeth are struck out with a light hatchet, which the
hunters always carry along with them; not only for that purpose, but also
to enable them to cut down such trees as contain honey; for though they
carry with them only five or six days' provisions, they will remain in
the woods for months if they are successful, and support themselves upon
the flesh of such elephants as they kill, and wild honey.
The ivory thus collected is seldom brought down to the Coast by the
hunters themselves. They dispose of it to the itinerant merchants, who
come annually from the Coast with arms and ammunition, to purchase this
valuable commodity.
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