THE ELEPHANT HUNT.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume II, Issue 61, 29 February 1868, Page 3

THE ELEPHANT HUNT.

Of pleasant September Who does’nt remember. In merry old England, the first .and most jolly day, When with Manton and Pnrday, To find where a bird lay, He trudged with his pointers, intent on his holiday ; With a wide-awake hat and a velveteen

jacket, A flask of fine powder and a shot-belt to back it, Or, iu these latter days, with some El cy's good cartridges, Seeking the slaughter of plump little par-

tridges 1 But, “chon fugaccs !” How rapid the pace is That boars us away from sweet memory's

traces ; Those days are all fled, Like the tears that are shed, And no partridges herein September lie dead, Except those poor, soft-potted things you may buy As “perdrix aux trufllss,” in a little tin pic. And yet to find sport Of a tangible sore No English born mortal could ever yet lag— By hook or by crook, With gun, line or hook, Something or other a man must bag. A partridge or pheasant Is all very pleasant When cither’s in season—which isu’t__at present: Or a hare or a paanw, But they won’t do just now, Or a certain big lawyer wouldkicic up a row. Then what’s to be done 1 Who’ll get up some fun, For a lively young Prince on our shores for

a run ? At this early day, When ostriches lay And game birds don’t stray, Far from their poor little chickens away— Where shall we take him, and what can he slay ? Wild cats and wild dogs Wild ducks and wild hogs, Hyena ami panther, and jackal and leopard And tiny brown quails— Short logs and no tails— Are all at His Highness’s heck to be peppered, But far above all, More bulky and tall, With flexible snout —both “ nasns ” and “ man us ” With a heavy stride, And with wrinkled liidc, Stalks big-cared “ Flephus Afrieanus.’’ * * * # ’Twas the ninth of September, the weather look’d thick, Not such as a giver of pic-nics would pick, Whcnolf the bluff rocks, known as “ Nnv.sua Heads ” Two vessels were nearing and heaving their

leads. And soon insido One was seen to glide, Statedly bearing the people’s pride, Till safe at her anchors the gallant ship lay In the harbour called cosily “ Featherbed (And I really must say, If ever one day I should have to reside on the ocean, I’d

pray It might be in a sort of featherbed waj r .) And then on the shore People rushed by the score To look, and admire, and ding hats up, and

roar : And they flared up at night And created a sight, With tar-barrels, lanterns, and all sorts of light; And the Duke was amused, and tars were amazed, At the rockets that burst, and the bonfires that blazed. Next day, through the dark waving forest they tramp To a lone little flat, where they settle their camp. And the long threat’ning rain Pours town on the plain, And cavi,ug no more for Prince than peasant, Makes v '/aytbing juicy, and moist, and un- »' , pleasant. Next j,v ~.-g, away in a woody ravine, Somok:. . in fine brutes at their breakfast ; re seen But modestly shunning the Koyal advance, Or, as some say, from "funk, Each pack up his trunk, And bolts off by express, without giving a chance— Save one lazy fellow who leaving the ranks Gets a ball and a shell from the Duke in his flanks Which gives such a thump it Compels him vo trumpet, To ease of the pain, as if his lungs could out pump it,