employed in manufacturing
hardened bullets for the elephants, using a composition of one of pewter
to four of lead; and I had just completed my work, when we heard a troop
of elephants splashing and trumpeting in the water. This was to me a
joyful sound; I slept little that night.

On the 26th I arose at earliest dawn, and, having fed four of my horses,
proceeded with Isaac to the fountain to examine the spoor of the
elephants which had drunk there during the night. A number of the paths
contained fresh spoor of elephants of all sizes, which had gone from the
fountain in different directions. We reckoned that at least thirty of
these gigantic quadrupeds had visited the water during the night.

We hastily returned to camp, where, having breakfasted, I saddled up,
and proceeded to take up the spoor of the largest bull elephant,
accompanied by after-riders and three of the guides to assist in
spooring. I was also accompanied by my dogs. Having selected the spoor
of a mighty bull, the Bechuanas went ahead and I followed them. It was
extremely interesting and exciting work. The footprint of this elephant
was about two feet in diameter, and was beautifully visible in the soft
sand. The spoor at first led us for about three miles in an easterly
direction, along one of the sandy foot-paths, without a check. We then
entered a very thick forest, and the elephant had gone a little out of
the path to smash some trees, and to plow up the earth with his tusks.
He soon, however, again took the path, and held along it for several
miles.

We were on rather elevated ground, with a fine view of a part of the
Bamangwato chain of mountains before us. Here the trees were large and
handsome, but not strong enough to resist the inconceivable strength of
the mighty monarchs of these forests. Almost every tree had half its
branches broken short by them, and at every hundred yards I came upon
entire trees, and these the largest in the forest, uprooted clean out of
the ground, or broken short across their stems. I observed several large
trees placed in an inverted position, having their roots uppermost in
the air. Our friend had here halted, and fed for a long time upon a
large, wide-spreading tree, which he had broken short across within a
few feet of the ground. After following the spoor some distance further
through the dense mazes of the forest, we got into ground so thickly
trodden by elephants that we were baffled in our endeavors to trac