The field-cornet, then, had resolved upon turning hunter by profession--
a hunter of elephants; and it was a pleasant reflection to think, that
this occupation promised, not only exciting sport, but great profit. He
knew that it was not so easy a matter to succeed in killing such large
and valuable game as elephants. He did not suppose that in a few weeks
or months he would obtain any great quantities of their ivory spoils;
but he had made up his mind to spend even years in the pursuit. For
years he should lead the life of a Bushman--for years his sons would be
"Bush-boys," and he hoped that in time his patience and toil would be
amply rewarded.
That night around the camp-fire all were very happy and very merry. The
elephant had been left where he lay, to be cut up on the morrow. Only
his trunk had been taken off--part of which was cooked for supper.
Although all the flesh of the elephant is eatable, the trunk is esteemed
one of the delicate bits. It tastes not unlike ox-tongue; and all of
them liked it exceedingly. To Swartboy, who had made many a meal upon
"de ole klow," it was a highly-relished feast.
They had plenty of fine milk, too. The cow, now upon the best of
pasture, doubled her yield; and the quantity of this, the most delicious
of all drinks, was sufficient to give every one a large allowance.
While enjoying their new-fashioned dish of roast elephant-trunk, the
conversation naturally turned upon these animals.
Everybody knows the appearance of the elephant, therefore a description
of him is quite superfluous. But everybody does not know that there are
two distinct kinds of this gigantic quadruped--the _African_ and
_Asiatic_.
Until a late period they were thought to be of the same species. Now
they are acknowledged to be, not only distinct, but very different in
many respects. The Asiatic, or, as it is more frequently called, the
"Indian" elephant is the larger of the two; but it is possible that
domestication may have produced a larger kind, as is the rule with many
animals. The African species exists only in a wild state; and it would
appear that individuals of this kind have been measured having the
dimensions of the largest of the _wild_ Asiatic elephants.
The most remarkable points of difference between the two are found in
the ears and tusks. The ears of the African elephant are of enormous
proportions, meeting each other above the shoulders, and hanging down
below the breast. Those of the Indian elephant are scarce one-third the
size. In his grand tusks the former has far the advantage--these in
some individuals weighing nearly two hundred pounds each--while the
tusks of the latter rarely reach the weight of one hundred. To this,
however, there are some exceptions. Of course a two hundred pound tusk
is one of the very largest, and far above the average even of African
elephants. In this species the females are also provided with tusks--
though not of such size as in the males--whereas the female of the
Indian elephant has either no tusks at all, or they are so small as to
be scarcely perceptible outside the skin of the lips. The other chief
points of difference between the two are that the front of the Asiatic
elephant is concave, while that of the African is convex; and the former
has four horny toes or _sabots_ on the hind-foot, where only three
appear upon that of the latter. The enamel of the teeth presents still
another proof of these animals being different in species.
Nor are all Asiatic elephants alike. In this species there are
varieties which present very distinct features; and, indeed, these
"varieties," as they are called, appear to differ from each other,
nearly as much as any one of them does from the African kind.
One variety known among Orientals by the name of "mooknah," has straight
tusks that _point downward_, whereas the usual habit of these singular
appendages is to _curve upward_.
Asiatics recognise two main _castes_, or perhaps species, among their
elephants. One known as "coomareah," is a deep-bodied, compact, and
strong animal, with large trunk and short legs. The other called
"merghee," is a taller kind, but neither so compact nor strong as the
coomareah, nor has he so large a trunk. His long legs enable him to
travel faster than the coomareah; but the latter having a larger trunk
(a point of beauty among elephant-owners) and being capable of enduring
more fatigue, is the favourite, and fetches a larger price in the
Oriental market.
Occasionally a _white_ elephant is met with. This is simply an
"albino," but such are greatly prized in many countries of Asia, and
large sums are given for them. They are even held in superstitious
veneration in some parts.
The Indian elephant at the present time inhabits most of the southern
countries of Asia, including the large islands, Ceylon, Java, Sumatra,
Borneo, etcetera. Of course every one knows that in these countries the
elephant has been trained long ago to the use of man, and is one of the
"domestic animals." But he also exists in a wild state, both upon the
continent of Asia and in its islands; and hunting the elephant is one of
the grand sport of the East.
In Africa the elephant exists _only_ in a state of nature. None of the
nations upon this little-known continent tame or train him to any
purpose. He is only prized among them for his precious tusks, and his
flesh as well. Some have asserted that this species is more fierce than
its Indian congener, and could not be domesticated. This is altogether
a mistake. The reason why the African elephant is not trained, is
simply that none of the modern nations of Africa have yet reached a high
enough point of civilisation to avail themselves of the services of this
valuable animal.
The African elephant may be domesticated and trained to the "howdah," or
castle, as easily as his Indian cousin. The trial has been made; but
that it can be done no better proof is required than that at one period
it was done, and upon a large scale. The elephants of the Carthaginian
army were of this species.
The African elephant at present inhabits the central and southern parts
of Africa. Abyssinia on the east, and Senegal on the west, are his
northern limits, and but a few years ago he roamed southward to the very
Cape of Good Hope. The activity of the Dutch ivory-hunters, with their
enormous long guns, has driven him from that quarter; and he is no
longer to be found to the south of the Orange River.
Some naturalists (Cuvier among others) believed the Abyssinian elephant
to be of the Indian species. That idea is now exploded, and there is no
reason to think that the latter inhabits any part of Africa. It is very
likely there are varieties of the African species in different parts of
the continent. It is well-known that those of the tropical regions are
larger than the others; and a _reddish and very fierce_ kind is said to
be met with in the mountains of Africa, upon the river Niger. It is
probable, however, that these _red_ elephants seen have been some whose
bodies were coated with red dust, as it is a habit of elephants to
powder themselves with dust on many occasions, using their trunks as
"dredgers."
Swartboy spoke of a variety well-known among the Hottentot hunters as
the "koes-cops." This kind, he said, differed from the ordinary ones by
its altogether wanting the tusks, and being of a far more vicious
disposition. Its encounter is more dreaded; but as it possesses no
trophies to make it worth the trouble and danger of killing, the hunters
usually give it a wide berth.
Such was the conversation that night around the camp-fire. Much of the
information here given was furnished by Hans, who of course had gathered
it from books; but the Bushman contributed his quota--perhaps of a far
more reliable character. All were destined ere long to make practical
acquaintance with the haunts and habits of this huge quadruped, that to
them had now become the most interesting of all the animal creation.