A Duel Between Elephants.

Auckland Star, Volume XXI, Issue 288, 6 December 1890, Page 3 (Supplement)

A Duel Between Elephants.

It was my e'ood fortune, writes a corres* pondenb to a Karachi paper, for porno years to 3pond some months every season in a One forest and bill country, where my duties gave ma chances of seeing a great deal of elephant, bison, and other big gamo fckab frequ'onted those parts. Our camp was on a particularly isolated hill, a good deal above the surrounding country. We had been some days in camp, but had not been visited as usual by our friends the elephants, when one afternoon the sudden bellow of one, evidently in pain, aroused everyone in the camp. A hill man presently came up to say that two large tuskers were hard at it close by. Everyone turned out on to the hill side, from where- ib was easy, even with the naked eye, to see what was going on. while with a glass even the movements of a startled daer could be made oub.

About 700 or 800 yards below the crowd watching fcha fight wore two tuskers. The one somewhat nearer us, a burly sfcoufcbuilb beasb with eborb powerful tusks, waa evidently getting much the worst of the combftt, and the white and red furrows in h:s sides and rear plainly indicated seama run by his antagonist's tusks. Blood could bo seen trickling down his head and shoulders. On the rise of the hill waa the rival, a etill- larger animal, possessing the advaiatsge of longer gleaming tucks. It was a losb Sgrht, and in a few minutes the victor, with a quick rush ab the other, made good a thrust at the side, and, though there was a severe struggle, the tusk went its full length into the now beaten brute, and using ail ita weighb the victor pressed him down the hill, where they disengaged themselves and prepared for another bout. The wounded tusker's roars of pain'and rage were pitiful to hear, and though he would have escaped if he conld, the other kept close behind him and administered thrust after thrust;, but not in any vital parb. Presently wheeling round they raced and came together with a mighty smash. This was about the only stand made, and was quickly overpowered by the more powerful and fresher victor. The thrusts now pub behind the shoulder- and into the body quickly disabled the poor brute, and in

facb in a few minutes tho combat; finally was over; the conqueror with one rush completely rolled his enemy over, and by repeated thrusts into the prostrate form finished the fight amidst moanings and trumpeting.

Next morning on our proceeding to look for the tuskers we found a largo herd in an excited state almost on the spot where the finish had occurred. In it wero several small tuskers besides the big conqueror of the evening before, who seemed to instil a groab deal or fear into tho youngsters. He caruo now into the open glade with a fineyoung female, and as ha approached even the other cows there was a general stampede oub of hia way We camo on tho dead beast, which had been butted and rolled, after it was killed, into a clump of bamboos. It had been a fine burly animal, but wae marked from forehead to rear and top to foot from rips and cuts. Ho measured 9ft. 6in. at the shoulder, and the tusks, which wero taken by the hill men, proved elightly over 1001b the pair. The victor, which in the fight appeared to towor over his foe, must have been quite ten feet high and had tho longest tusks I have ever seen clear of their sockets. I tried to get him, but what with bis harem about him, and tho difficulty of getting a clear viow in the long grass, I failed to geb a shot.