A settler's wife complained to Mr. Pringle very bitterly, of the destruction occasioned to her husband's crops by the elephants; which she, with reason, said were too big to wrestle with, and they occasionally seemed to commit mischief from mere wantonness. In the same place, a troop came down one dark and rainy night to the outskirts of the village; but knowing that it was sometimes dangerous to encounter them, the inhabitants did not go out; although they heard them making a terrible bellowing and uproar. It appeared the next morning, that one of the elephants had fallen into an unfinished trench, which had no water in it, and did not know how to get out again. It is supposed, that his companions had pulled him out with their trunks; for there were clearly defined marks of their having stationed themselves on each side; some kneeling, and some standing, and that thus he had been hoisted up.
The remarkable escape of Lieut. Moodie is one of the most extraordinary encounters on record. A servant informed him that a large troop of elephants was in the vicinity, and that a party had gone out to attack them, so he started to join in the hunt; but losing his way in the jungle, he did not overtake them till they had driven the elephants from their first station. On leaving the jungle, he was going through a meadow on the banks of the Gualana, to the spot where the firing had begun, when he was suddenly warned of some danger, by the cry of "Take care" both in Dutch and English. He heard a crackling behind him, occasioned by the elephants breaking through the wood, which was accompanied by their screams. A large female elephant, and three of a smaller size, departed from the rest, and came towards him; but not being in a good position for firing, Mr. Moodie retreated from their direct path, to get a better place from which to take aim, and hoped they would not observe him. They, however, rapidly pursued him; he reserved his fire as a last resource, and turning off at a right angle, made for the banks of the river, intending to take refuge among the rocks on the other side. Before this, however, they were close upon him, screaming so tremendously that he was almost stunned by their noise. He turned upon them, and fired at the head of the largest; the powder had become damp, the gun hung fire, till he was in the act of taking it from his shoulder, when it went off, and the ball grazed the side of the large elephant's head. She stopped for an instant, and then rushed furiously forward: whether struck down or not, he could never say; but Lieut. Moodie fell. The animal had only one tusk, which missed him as she rushed upon him; but it ploughed up the earth within an inch or two of his body; she then caught him by the middle with her trunk, threw him between her fore feet, and battered him with them for a short time; one of these huge feet once pressed him so much, that his bones bent under its weight. He did not lose his recollection, and he constantly was able to twitch himself on one side, and so avoid several blows. Two of his party came up and fired at her; one bullet alone touching her in the shoulder; her young ones then retreated, and she left her victim, finally knocking him with her hind feet as she went off. He got up, picked up his gun, and staggered away as fast as he could. She turned round, looked after him; and he then lay down in the long grass, and so eluded her observation.