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Ch. 5: Elephant Hunting

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200 IVORY AND THE ELEPHANT
that flows from these cuts is received in a vessel and is poured into the muzzles of the guns. At the same time a special form of conjuration, supposed to render the hunter invisible to his quarry, is pronounced. Thereupon the wounds in the arms are dressed with a decoction made from an elephant's trunk and upper lip. In addition to all this they have a form of amulet which, when bound on a hunter's wrist, insures the accuracy of his aim, and if attached to his waist confers invulnerability. This is a little, perfo­rated, wooden rod.*
The genesis of what has probably already become a bit of local African folklore in regard to an elephant is related by the famous English elephant hunter, James Sutherland. In the course of one of his expeditions into equatorial Africa he came across a fine herd of elephants, but as they got wind of his approach he was only able to bring down one of them, a large bull elephant, with a well-aimed head shot. The animal fell prone upon the ground, apparently mortally wounded. To make sure of his quarry, Sutherland came close up to the elephant and placing the muzzle of his rifle within a foot of its head fired a shot at the correct angle to carry the bullet to the brain. A convulsive tremor passed over the animal's body, the tail stiffened, and the hunter was confident that death had already ensued, or would shortly follow. Therefore, with his native attendants, he took up the trail of the other elephants, but found that he could not hope to overtake them. After an interval of about two hours he sent one of his men back to locate the place of the elephant he had shot; however, in a short time the native returned and announced, with an astonished and mystified air, that the animal was nowhere to be seen. Sutherland then accompanied him to the spot and soon
*Report of missionary Heese, in Archiv für Anthropologie, New Series, Vol. XII, Pt. 2f pp. 134-146; Braunschweig, 1913.
Ch. 5: Elephant Hunting Page of 681 Ch. 5: Elephant Hunting
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