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Preston, of the Gaboon Mission, who first noticed it, and Mr. The same tale is told of all the wild elephant-hunters in the interior, the Bati the Okana, the Yefa, and the Sensoba. Arrived at Tippet-town, I gave my "dashes," chiefly brass and copper rods, bade an affectionate farewell, and then dropped down stream without further ceremony.
'A few days after this act, a hundred men assembled at Doolana, determined upon his destruction. They were all picked elephant-hunters Moormen; active and sinewy fellows, accustomed to danger from their childhood. Some were armed with axes, sharpened to the keenest edge, some with long spears, and others with regular elephant ropes, formed of the thongs of raw deer's hide, beautifully twisted.
The latter are the innermost known to my negro informants, and their sheep and goats have found their way to the Gaboon: they are doughty elephant-hunters, and they attack the Njina, although they have no fire-arms.
We halted at the earnest solicitation of Chongi, as well as of the Chopi porters, who said they required a day to lay in grain, as the Wichwezi, or mendicant sorcerers for so they thought fit to designate Petherick's elephant-hunters had eaten up the country all about them, and those who went before with Bombay to visit their camp could get no food. 1st.
Father Merolla talks of a breed in the Cabo Verde Islands "between bulls and she-asses, which they compassed by binding a cow's hide upon the latter:" it would be worth inquiring if this was ever attempted, and it might add to our traditions about the "Jumart." And the tale of the elephant-hunters deceiving the animals by anointing themselves with their droppings deserves investigation.
The elephant-hunters, or aggageers, exhibited their swords, which differed in no respect from those usually worn; but they were bound with cord very closely from the guard for about nine inches along the blade, to enable them to be grasped by the right hand, while the hilt was held by the left; the weapon was thus converted into a two-handed sword.
Much of the sandstone is white and soft and friable; but this appears to have been decomposed by time and exposure, as the generality is hard and would make excellent grindstones. "October 25. Three elephant-hunters arrived to-day with horses for sale. I purchased three a bay and two greys. They are all of Abyssinian breed, and are handsome animals, although none exceed fourteen hands and a half.
Two, if well directed, may bring down a cow-elephant and sometimes a bull, but oftener it requires ten times two before a strong old bull can be made to "bite the dust." But would any elephant wait until they could load and fire a sufficient number of shots? That was an undecided point with our tyro elephant-hunters. If not, then they would be helpless indeed.
Preparations for advance Mek Nimmur makes a foray The Hamran elephant-hunters In the haunts of the elephant A desperate charge. The time was approaching when the grass throughout the country would be sufficiently dry to be fired.
In the meantime, I sent one of the elephant-hunters to look for the well, intending, if water was to be obtained, to rest here for the night. A pool was found, but the water was thick and muddy, and the Negro discovered near it the remains of a fire recently extinguished, and the fragments of provisions, which afforded a proof that it had been lately visited, either by travellers or banditti.
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