Household words, No. 17, July 20, 1850 : $b A weekly journal
General
Household words, No. 17, July 20, 1850 : $b A weekly journal
English literature -- Periodicals
immediately dropped astern, and next moment she was surrounded by the
dogs, which, barking angrily, seemed to engross her attention. Having
placed myself between her and the retreating troop, I dismounted, to
fire within forty yards of her, in open ground. Colesberg was extremely
afraid of the elephants, and gave me much trouble, jerking my arm when I
tried to fire. At length I let fly; but, on endeavouring to regain my
saddle, Colesberg declined to allow me to mount; and when I tried to
lead him, and run for it, he only backed towards the wounded elephant.
At this moment I heard another elephant close behind; and on looking
about I beheld the ‘friend,’ with uplifted trunk, charging down upon me
at top speed, shrilly trumpeting, and following an old black pointer
named Schwart, that was perfectly deaf, and trotted along before the
enraged elephant quite unaware of what was behind him. I felt certain
that she would have either me or my horse. I, however, determined not to
relinquish my steed, but to hold on by the bridle. My men, who of course
kept at a safe distance, stood aghast with their mouths open, and for a
few seconds my position was certainly not an enviable one. Fortunately,
however, the dogs took off the attention of the elephants; and just as
they were upon me I managed to spring into the saddle, where I was safe.
As I turned my back to mount, the elephants were so very near, that I
really expected to feel one of their trunks lay hold of me. I rode up to
Kleinboy for my double-barrelled two-grooved rifle: he and Isaac were
pale and almost speechless with fright. Returning to the charge, I was
soon once more alongside, and, firing from the saddle, I sent another
brace of bullets into the wounded elephant. Colesberg was extremely
unsteady, and destroyed the correctness of my aim. The ‘friend’ now
seemed resolved to do some mischief, and charged me furiously, pursuing
me to a distance of several hundred yards. I therefore deemed it proper
to give her a gentle hint to act less officiously, and accordingly,
having loaded, I approached within thirty yards, and gave it her sharp,
right and left, behind the shoulder; upon which she at once made off
with drooping trunk, evidently with a mortal wound. Two more shots
finished her: on receiving them she tossed her trunk up and down two or
three times, and falling on her broadside against a thorny tree, which
yielded like grass before her enormous weight, she uttered a deep hoarse
cry and expired.”
Mr. Cumming’s exploits in the water are no less exciting than his land
adventures. Here is an account of his victory over a hippopotamus, on
the banks of the Limpopo river, near the northernmost extremity of his
journeyings.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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