The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-11-15 00:00:00

SALE OF ELEPHANTS AND DROME-

• BABIES.

On Tuesday afternoon, at the Alexandra Palace
(says The Times) the performing elephants and drome-
daries which formed part of the Nubian Caravan were
offered for sale. Among the elephants was the Indian
elephant " Shereef," the animal which was called as a
witness in the Court of Queen's Bench last July, and
was pronounced by Baron Pollock." a most intelligent
witness." The animals were being "cleared out," it
was announced by the auctioneers, Messrs. Driver and
Perfect, on account of the summer season being closed
and the preparation of the Palace for the winter
season. The hardiness of the animals was shown by
the fact that they wintered on that bleak "northern
height" of London last winter, and their docility was
known to the many thousands who had witnessed their
daily performances.
Toe first lot put before the assembly was a hand-
some performing horse, named "Irish Elk," which,
was put through its paces in the ring, and was an-
nounced to have taken second prize for leaping at the
last horse show. No bonafide bids were made for the
horse, and it was bought in.
The second It ctq,i4,l of a " Nabian racing
dromedary, 71 t. 2in, in height;" a similar animal, lin.
shorter; the Indian elephant "Shereef," six and-a-
half years old, 4ft. 7in.' in height; a fecond African
elephant, l 0 years, 4ft. 21n. in height; and a third
African elephant, 3in, taller than " Shereef." The
animals walked into the circus, and " Shereef "played
some of his tricks walking round the edge of the circus,
then imitating a beggar by hopping on three legs, mean-
while holding out his trunk for casual alms, then play-
ing through his trunk on a mouth organ. It was
evident as soon as the bids commenced that " Shereef "
Was the attraction, as some among the throng desired
the five animals to be offered separately instead of
together. They were not separated, and the auctioneer
asked for a bid of 1,000 guineas, going back in Dutch-
auction fashion until he received a bid of 300 guineas
—Messrs, George and John Sanger, owner of the late
Astley's Theatre, Mr. Jamrack, and Mr. Cross, of
of Liverpool, bidding. The lot went from 300 guineas
by smell degrees to 525 guineas, at which prie the five
animals were knocked down to Mr. Cross, of Liver-
pool.

THE ROYAL BELGIAN ELEPHANT
EXPEDITION IN AFRICA.

Letters from Zanzibar, received in London, an-
nounce the arrival at Ugogo of the United Belgian
Expedition. The Elephant Expedition, under Mr.
Carter, arrived first at Mpwapwa, from Dar-es-
Salaam, at which place they awaited the expedition
under Captain Popelin, and, upon its arrival, the two
expeditions joined, and proceeded en route for Unyan-
yenlbe and Ujiji, all well. The elephants had
travelled meet successfully from Dar-ea-Salaam (where
they were landed), to Mpwapwa, for the first fifty miles
over the Mackinnon-Buxton road, which is now com-
pleted for that distance inland, in the direction of the
Lake Nyassa, This road is described by one of the expe-
dition as being like "the king's highway," the loaded
elephants passing over the numerous bridges without
trying them, and that there is no portion of the road
over which a dog-cart could not be safely driven.
Bungalows, or rest-houses, are being erected at inter-
vals along the route, Having this road to traverse for
the first fifty miles proved a great boon to the elephants,
and all connected with the expedition, enabling them
to get somewhat accustomed to marching before they
had the arduous task of going across country to
Mpwapwa, by a previously unknown route. This was
a great undertaking to accomplish, the hills crossed
being very steep, and the country one of extreme diffi-
culty, some of the descents being spoken of as
literally like coming down the "side of a house."
That no animals but elephants could possibly have
carried their burdens of half a ton each over such a
country with so little distress is the opinion of the
leader of this expedition. " Tsetse " country was
passed through and the elephants covered and bitten
by the fly, but with apparently no bad results; they
also seem to thrive on the native vegetation and not
to miss their accustomed Indian luxuries. Unfor-
tunately, when near Mpwapwa, one of the elephants
(a large male) died, not from "tsetse" bite, but, it is
believed, from apoplexy, dying suddenly and in its
sleep; it had been the most difficult to manage of the
four, and was therefore the easiest to spare, for though
of course a loss to the expedition, yet as it never could
be turned, having made up its mind to do a thing, it
made up its mind to die, and succeeded,
The other three animals may now be considered
fully acclimatized, and by last accounts were all well.
This expedition is creating profound admiration and
astonishment in all the villages through which it
passes, and the docility of the huge beasts, hitherto
looked upon as enemies to their crops, is beginning for
the first time to dawn on the native mind. It is

much to be hoped steps will before long be taken to
capture and train the wild African elephants, roaming
in large herds in the interior, especially now these
Indian ones prove of such immense use as means of
transport in Central Africa, where trustworthy and
more inexpensive means of carriage are so much
needed to develop the resources of that vast country.
Mr. Sanderson has written from India, volunteering
to go to Africa, taking his staff of experienced ele-
phant-catchers with him, for a period of three years,
should he obtain leave from the Indian Government,
in whose service he is employed in the capacity of
elephant•catcher, and should the necessary funds for
the undertaking be forthcoming. It will be much
to be deplored if Mr. Sanderson's enterprising offer
and the opportunity of gaining the advantage of his
great experience are lost, for to our thinking the
civilisation and development of Eastern tropical
Africa promises to do more towards the successful
opening up of new markets for our manufactures than
any undertaking hitherto attempted. Two members
of the Belgian expedition return to Europe unable to
sustain the fatigues of the journey. Their places are
about to be filled by Englishmen of energy and expe-
rience, who proceed shortly to join the party.
The tusks being sawn off at tne tips (3ft. 3in. long
and if t. 21n. in circumference) of the elephant that
died in the King of the Belgians' service have arrived
in England from Mpwapwa, and will be forwarded to
his Majesty at ruksels as a souvenir of ,the death of
the first elephant in the praiseworthy attempt to
civilise and develop Africa, in which so many noble
lives have been sacrificed.