hey watched something on the ground.
I feared that perhaps the Zulus had followed my footprints, and had
traced me to where I then was; but I soon heard a noise which I
recognised as that made by an elephant, and it was this creature to
which the monkeys were giving so much attention. The elephant I soon
saw as he moved slowly through the bush; he was a large bull-elephant,
and was alone, no others being near him. When this is the case an
elephant becomes very savage, as he has usually been driven out of the
herd by a combination of younger bull-elephants. He then wanders about
in the bush, and is ready to attack anything that he comes across. I
was rather pleased to know that such an elephant was in this bush; for I
knew the Zulus had a great dread of a solitary bull-elephant even in the
open country, whilst in the bush he was still more to be feared. It
would therefore be probable that, if (as they soon would) they knew of
the presence of the elephant, they would not like to traverse the bush
in search of me. As long as I was up a tree as high and as strong as
that in which I now was I was safe from an elephant.

During two days I remained in the bush, passing the night in a tree, and
by day gathering fruit and drinking water. People in civilisation eat
and drink either at stated hours or when hungry and thirsty. I had long
been accustomed to do both when I could. If not thirsty, and I came on
a stream of good water, I drank, because by so doing I prevented myself
from becoming thirsty; so that probably I might have managed to pass a
month in this bush, without suffering from want of food or water. I
had, however, found a tall tree from which I could see a great part of
the flat and marsh of Natal, as also the bay and sea beyond; and on the
afternoon of the second day I saw two sights which rejoiced me. The
first was a large party of Zulus moving from near the bay towards the
Umganie river: these men were driving some cattle before them, and were
apparently leaving the country. The other sight was a ship which was
sailing up the coast, and was evidently making for the anchorage
opposite the harbour. Having taken up a safe position in this tree, I
passed the night quietly, and when the first light of day enabled me to
see distant objects, I perceived that the ship which I had seen sailing
was now at anchor, with no sails set. Immediately I saw this I
descended from the tree, and worked my way out of the bu