During the 19th C unlike today when the seemingly insatiable thirst for ivory comes from the East, then it was Europe where the demand was greatest. As a result the elephant, in what is today South Africa was hunted and slaughtered to the brink of extinction. It is to the great shame of our so called “civilised” race that a two shilling and a penny licence was the only requirement needed to take part in the mass killing of elephant. The hunters of the time were quite proud of their achievements and wrote detailed accounts of their horrific deeds,
One such person, I hesitate to call him human, was hunter/author Gordon R Cumming who published a book in 1857 called “Five Years of a Hunters Life in the Far Interior of South Africa.” In it he writes of having wounded a great bull elephant which then moved slowly towards a tree, where obviously in great pain, it was unable to go no further. Unperturbed Cumming lit a fire and brewed a pot of coffee.
This is his description of what happened next:
“Having refreshed myself, taking observations of the elephant’s spasms & writhing between sips, I resolved to make experiments on venerable points, and approaching very near, I fired several bullets at different parts of his enormous skull. He only acknowledged the shots by a salaam-like movement of his trunk, with the point of which he gently touched the wounds with a striking and peculiar action.
Surprised to find I was prolonging the sufferings of the noble beast which bore his trials with such dignified composure, I resolved to finish the proceedings with all possible despatch and accordingly opened fire on him from the left side. Aiming at the shoulder, I fired six shots with the two-grooved rifle which must have eventually proved mortal, after which I fired six shots at the same point with the Dutch six-pounder.
Large tears now trickled from his eyes, which he slowly shut & opened; his colossal frame quivered convulsively and falling to his side he expired."
I leave you to comment.
I Posted a Thread on the Knysna Elephants Earlier.
-
jones jones
- Posts: 6601
- Joined: Sat Jan 26, 2008 7:30 am
I Posted a Thread on the Knysna Elephants Earlier.
"…I hate how I don’t feel real enough unless people are watching." — Chuck Palahniuk, Invisible Monsters
I Posted a Thread on the Knysna Elephants Earlier.
jones jones;1434158 wrote: During the 19th C unlike today when the seemingly insatiable thirst for ivory comes from the East, then it was Europe where the demand was greatest. As a result the elephant, in what is today South Africa was hunted and slaughtered to the brink of extinction. It is to the great shame of our so called �civilised� race that a two shilling and a penny licence was the only requirement needed to take part in the mass killing of elephant. The hunters of the time were quite proud of their achievements and wrote detailed accounts of their horrific deeds,
One such person, I hesitate to call him human, was hunter/author Gordon R Cumming who published a book in 1857 called �Five Years of a Hunters Life in the Far Interior of South Africa.� In it he writes of having wounded a great bull elephant which then moved slowly towards a tree, where obviously in great pain, it was unable to go no further. Unperturbed Cumming lit a fire and brewed a pot of coffee.
This is his description of what happened next:
�Having refreshed myself, taking observations of the elephant�s spasms & writhing between sips, I resolved to make experiments on venerable points, and approaching very near, I fired several bullets at different parts of his enormous skull. He only acknowledged the shots by a salaam-like movement of his trunk, with the point of which he gently touched the wounds with a striking and peculiar action.
Surprised to find I was prolonging the sufferings of the noble beast which bore his trials with such dignified composure, I resolved to finish the proceedings with all possible despatch and accordingly opened fire on him from the left side. Aiming at the shoulder, I fired six shots with the two-grooved rifle which must have eventually proved mortal, after which I fired six shots at the same point with the Dutch six-pounder.
Large tears now trickled from his eyes, which he slowly shut & opened; his colossal frame quivered convulsively and falling to his side he expired."
I leave you to comment.
What comment could possibly be appropriate - a total animal!
One such person, I hesitate to call him human, was hunter/author Gordon R Cumming who published a book in 1857 called �Five Years of a Hunters Life in the Far Interior of South Africa.� In it he writes of having wounded a great bull elephant which then moved slowly towards a tree, where obviously in great pain, it was unable to go no further. Unperturbed Cumming lit a fire and brewed a pot of coffee.
This is his description of what happened next:
�Having refreshed myself, taking observations of the elephant�s spasms & writhing between sips, I resolved to make experiments on venerable points, and approaching very near, I fired several bullets at different parts of his enormous skull. He only acknowledged the shots by a salaam-like movement of his trunk, with the point of which he gently touched the wounds with a striking and peculiar action.
Surprised to find I was prolonging the sufferings of the noble beast which bore his trials with such dignified composure, I resolved to finish the proceedings with all possible despatch and accordingly opened fire on him from the left side. Aiming at the shoulder, I fired six shots with the two-grooved rifle which must have eventually proved mortal, after which I fired six shots at the same point with the Dutch six-pounder.
Large tears now trickled from his eyes, which he slowly shut & opened; his colossal frame quivered convulsively and falling to his side he expired."
I leave you to comment.
What comment could possibly be appropriate - a total animal!