On 1st December, Lieutenant Baker shot a fine bull elephant, with very
large tusks; this was within four miles of head-quarters. At this
season they were very numerous in the neighbourhood of Gondokoro. During
my absence to the south of Regiaf, there had been a curious nocturnal
alarm in the station.
Upon a fine moonlight night the sentries were astonished by the
appearance of two immense bull elephants, that, having marched along the
cliff, took the fort in the rear on the river side.
The fort was a redan, open at the river base; thus, unheeding the
sentry, the elephants coolly walked into the centre. The sentry's musket
was immediately responded to by the guard; the buglers, startled by a
sharp fire of musketry, blew the alarm.
The elephants, now alarmed in their turn, rushed onwards, but upon
ascending the earthwork, they were met by a deep yawning ditch, which
they could not cross. The whole force turned out, and the attack on the
thick-skinned intruders became general. The bullets flew so wildly that
it was more dangerous for bystanders than for the elephants.
In the mean while, the panic-stricken animals charged wildly in all
directions, but were invariably stopped by the ditch and rampart, until
at last they happened to find the right direction, and retreated by
their original entrance, most probably not much the worse for the
adventure.
Mr. Higginbotham, who gave me this account, described the excitement of
the troops as so intense, that they let their muskets off completely at
random: and so thick were the bullets in his direction, that he was
obliged to take shelter behind a white-ant hill.
I had no time to devote to elephant-shooting, otherwise I might have
killed a considerable number in the neighbourhood of Gondokoro. The
Baris are not good hunters, and they merely catch the elephants in
pitfalls; therefore, being free from attack, these animals are
exceedingly daring, and easy to approach.
They are generally attracted by the ripe lalobes, the fruit already
described of the heglik (Balanites Egyptiaca). The trees, if of medium
size, are frequently torn down for the sake of this small production,
that would appear too insignificant for the notice of so huge an animal.
I once had an opportunity of witnessing an elephant's strength exerted
in his search for this small fruit. I was in the Shir country, and one
evening, accompanied by Lieutenant Baker, I strolled into the forest,
about half a mile from our vessels, to watch for waterbuck (Redunca
Ellipsiprymna) in a small glade where I had shot one on the previous
evening.
We had not long been concealed, when I heard a peculiar noise in the
thick forest that denoted the approach of elephants.
We at once retreated to some rising ground about 150 paces distant, as
our small rifles would have been useless against such heavy game. In a
short time several elephants appeared from various portions of the
covert, and one of extraordinary size moved slowly towards us, until he
halted beneath a tall, spreading heglik. This tree must have been nearly
three feet in diameter, and was about thirty feet high from the ground
to the first branch; it was therefore impossible for the elephant to
gather the coveted fruit. To root up such a tree would have been out of
the question. The elephant paused for a short time, as though
considering; he then butted his forehead suddenly against the trunk. I
could not have believed the effect: this large tree, which was equal in
appearance to the average size of park-timber, quivered in every branch
to such a degree, that had a person taken refuge from an elephant, and
thought himself secure in the top, he would have found it difficult to
hold on.
When the lalobes fall, they must be picked up individually and although
the trouble appears disproportioned to the value of the fruit, there is
no food so much coveted by elephants.
Near this spot, on the following day, I had a close adventure with a
hippopotamus. I had gone to the same place where I had seen the
elephants, and I was returning through the forest within a few yards of
the river margin, when, upon suddenly turning round a dense thorn-bush,
I came within four or five paces of a large bull hippopotamus. This
animal had left the river for an evening ramble on the shore, and was
munching some succulent grass with such gusto that he had not heard my
approach. Unfortunately, I had come upon him exactly at right angles,
which restricted my shot to the temple. This is the most difficult of
penetration in the hippopotamus.
I only had the "Dutchman," and my attendant Monsoor carried a snider
rifle; thus we were badly armed for so impenetrable a beast. I fired
just in front of the ear, certainly within fifteen feet. The only effect
produced was a shake of his head, and he appeared rather stupid, as
though stunned. The left-hand barrel followed quickly upon the right.
Monsoor fired with his snider. The "Dutchman," being a breechloader, was
ready again, and we fired into this stupid-looking brute as though he
had been a target, and with about the same effect.
Suddenly, as though we had just awakened him, he turned round and bolted
into a dense mass of thorns, about thirty paces before us.
In the mean time, the troops at the vessels, that were within about 300
paces, having heard the rapid and continued firing, supposed that I had
been attacked by the natives.
