The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-05-29 00:00:00

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.ELEPHANTS IN CEYLON.

, f
By the last accounts frem Ceylon we hear that the
Governor, with the full concurrence of the Secretary.
of State, has issued a prohibition against the destruc-
tion of elephants (remarks The Times). This has
already caused disappointment to sundry sporting
travellers, and it is as well that it should be
generally known, that others who are intent on the
slaughter of big game may direct their steps else-
where. The wholesale and wanton destruction of these
useful and intelligent animals, which has too long pre-
vailed, has at length aroused the attention of the Colo-
ilia/ Government. They ought to be largely employed
in public works. Their strength, which enables them
to draw stones of huge magnitude, and to place them
with ease wherever required, renders elephant work
far more valuable and substantial than that of the
weak Indian labourers employed on the roads and irri-
gation works in Ceylon. It is particularly in the con-
traction of bridges that the value of elephants is
Manifest. Nothing can be more interesting than to
watch the docility and intelligence of these great
creatures in the performance of their task, now drag-
ging, now pushing, to the exact spot, gigantic stones, i
and placing them n their appointed position with the
.accuracy of a mason.
Of late, unfortunately, the strength of the elephant
• department in Ceylon has dwindled down to the half
• of its fult complement, and from every Province where
works of any importance were going on demands come
in for the assistance of elephants, but in vain.
• Formerly well-trained elephants were not difficult to
purchase; many were owned by private persons,
but still more by the representatives of the Budhist
temples, who let them out on hire when not
wanted for religious processions. Now none of
any value can be procured. The native headmen
report that elephants are disappearing, and the
wanton massacres of them in those parts of the island
where there is sufficient population to capture them
by a kraal have rendered it unlikely that the public
want can be supplied by this means. No doubt they
.can be supplied by the employment of elephant
catchers, but the cruelties practised on the wretched
animals by this process, in which hardly one in three
survives the tying-up operations after the elephants
arb noosed, induce the Government to resort to it as
seldom as possible. ,
In former days the number and boldness of elephants
rendered their destrubtion a matter of nece-sity ;now
they are fully alive to their danger and instinctively
keep away as a general rule from villages where they
,know they will be encountered with firearms. Com-
'plainte,•no doubt, sometimes come in that an outlying
crop has been ravaged, in which case the punishment of
the invaders is permitted. Rewards are also givenfor the
destruction of rogue elephants, who occupy for a time
some particular road, put to flight the post runners,
and tear open the bags, which are abandoned to them
to divert their attention. The letters scattered about
are shown by the runners in attestation of their story.
It has, however, been remarked that, though ordinary
letters in such cases are recovered, the registered letters
have some particular attraction to the animal, and are
carried off by him into the jungle.
In these circumstances it had been found necessary
to put a stop to the issue of licences to shoot and cap-
ture, except for Government purposes, for some time
to come; and it is desirable that sporting adventurers
should be apprised that their only chance of being
allowed a shot at an elephant in Ceylon is in the case
of a notorious rogue, or of a herd indulging in too fre-
quent visits to irrigation works, and consequent des-
truction of the dams. • •