ELEPHANT SHOOTING

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1749, 25 January 1888, Page 3

ELEPHANT SHOOTING

A writer m the ''^sian vouches for the truth of the following stories of elephant shoo ing : — A ft \r nights ngo A. was on a v'bU to D , the manager of my tea and coffee estate. Their evening tubs over, the eportsraen bad, after the manner of neglige bacbel r planters, attired themselves m their sle*piug suits, and were awaiting tlri announcement of d'naer. when it was announced that five elephants were on the estate. It was already very dark for shooting, and there was no time for ceremony ; to A., who was a litte ah<-ad of D. proceeded at once to business The eltphants wera almost iavisible, bn\ A. could make out the contour of the head of one about fifteen yards off ; he aimed for the ea^, and his first barrel missed fire ; without waitiog to re'oad he fired bis second barrel, and the elephant collapsed. D. m the meantime gave another e'epbant both bis bullets m the head. The three unwounded elephants made off ; but not so D.'s ; he commenc d stamping up and down a grufs ridge close at hand swearing horribly. D. loaded again sharp, but A, discovered to his horror that his cartridges had jammed. At this juncture matters began to look serious; but fortunately the elephant's feara got the better of his temper and he made of£. A. spent a night of feverish uncertainty ; but the dawn of day found him at the scene of action rejoicing over the carcase of bis first elephant. The following is also a •tory for the truth of which I oan vouoh, ■nd nuny Madras sbikarles or the last generation will probnbly reoognlfls the sportsman, a celebrated ft'ephant shot, lately retired from the service, from the story. The inoldent ooourred early m bis oireer, and was one of many who proonrcd for him a name for being, If not the best, one of the b9st elephant-slayers m India It was m the days before the brilliant Idea of preserving the most mischievous brntes that walk the jangles, nnder the supposition that some day they may want to catch them, bad suggested itself to an er 1 ghtened (Government, and on the other hand, large rewards were offered for the destruction of the vermin. Oa the occasion m question he and his truckers got among a herd of elephants, bat In grais so long that it interfered with ■booting. M , however, was equal to the emergency; he went up to an elephant; and dropped it dead; then, te'z og a spare gon, he jumped on to the carcass, from which elevated perch he shot two m re | elephants " right and left " Some men talk about their shooting averages. What will the majority of sach say to five elephants m five shots, which feat has been performed once to my ceitsin knowledge, and I have been told more than once, by the above mentioned sports man 1 Tftis reoord Is said to h&ve been beaten by a native who killed two elephants with one Bhot ! He shot a cow, and ahe fell ir>d Eq<iaihei her calf.