The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-03-24 00:00:00

LITERATURE ON ELEPHANTS.

Elephants are useful to geographers making maps
of the interior of Africa. Apart from this, from the
European point of view, the chief claim of the ele-
phant to public notice is that he is very big, and
that he does not use his size hi rsn cbgoiious way.
This general basis of popularity being established, It
hrss been found necessary to credit him with sagacity,
for mere corposal bulk as a foundation of- popular
favour would, it is conceded, go but a short way
towards justifying a benevolent attitude in regard to
the elephant, 4,nd might almost imply a Philistine
want of intellect on the part of the admirers. The
Chinese, indeed, indiscriminately honour all fat men
as personally carrying about with them a proof of
their success in life, and, therefore, visible creden-
tials ssf shrewdness and worldly wisdom. But we are
not Chinamen, and it has consequently been discovered
that elephants do not exhibit that craps stupidity
which presumably might have been expected of man-
kind if they have been born in the shape of elephants.
Elephants do not, indeed, carry umbrellas 'and bags
in their mouths like dogs, nor is it recorded that they
have ever used cats to pull roasted chestnuts out of
the fire, nor has any elephant ever been known to
speak like a parrot or mina. It is possible, of course,
that they refrain frcm human speech for the same
reason that the monkeys d 3, because, if they talked,
they would be immediately set to work for their
living; but this is improbable, for, as it is, many
elephants labour just as hard as if they had the elo-
quence of a navvy. But, if. elephants do not distin.
guish themselves thus, it is notorious that if you price
them in tha trunk with a needle, you will on the first
eligible occasion afterwards be drenched with dirty
water.
There are many varieties of the animal recognised
which are altogether unknown to Western naturalists,
and the literature on the subject is very voluminous,
and not to be mastered without 717 serieus study.
It is difficult to say, and it would be prasumptious
in an outsider to decide, which of the two acknow-
ledged text-books of the science is to be regarded
as the better authority for those anxious to improve
their knowledge of elephants, whether the " Tamra
the treatise on the elephant- written by a
Siamese nobleman at one time holding the office of
Kromma )ang, or Imperial gaishal to. the Royal
(Siamese*/ 147 bite Elephant, or the Burmese Rationale
of the " Sin-pyoo-Dav,f) a liulky volume, including
the observations of the most' eintnent studente of the
subject during a period of many years. It is reas-
suring to find that the test-points given by. both
works as to the determining of the white elephant
agree in most particulars, for it is a notable fact that
white elephants are not by any
.means really white.
They tire'sodonf better than a. tgist brovn or. ding
cream dolotir, 'and are somptlmes quite indubitably
black. It is therefore desirable to know how im-
d:t sa
t e c tee d
;caL
pde
tnay how homagebp
. t b
gproasdtourast:;irr be 5
0
th
mwoonrtthayofbtehaestxwahttobadno,esthfie oteifeusltfii
pthhaent;r eoquhlorse;
possession enarantees to. its owner the universal
sovereignty. It agroa that ttie oldn must have
a reddish colour about it, and that the eye obeli
.be
situated well forward on the head and adorned with
a reddish outer annulus. ThLg reolistrlti the
irt
of the nine precious gems, and gives its owner a most
sinister look to all but the connoisseur. Further, the
teeth are of a particular formation, and it is absolutely
necessary that' the tail sho4ld be unputilated. vl-
- sceptics, who endeavoured to injure a Xang
Phnek's tail would perish in the attempt. This seems
very prabable, irrespective of superstitious beliefs. The
toe-nails must also be pure black. To this the Burman
observer adds that there must be five toe-nails on the
hind foot instead of the ordinary four. Any one of these
signa will gain for its possessor great honour, for it is
probable that in future egistenses he will develop the
others and appear as the true animal. The final test in
Burma, where the evidence is conflicting, is always
that of water. This is solemnly poured over the
candidate. If he turns red when wet, he is hailed
a veritable saddan, and forthwith inotallod in all the