The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-05-08 00:00:00

A BABY ELEPHANT.

The first well-authenticated case of a captive ele-
phant taking upon herself the cares of maternity
occurred on the 10th of March last, at a circus at
Philadelphia, U.S.A., and the "interesting event"
appears to have had an extraordinary effect upon the
mother and her stable companions. The other ele-
phants showed their excitement by bellowing loudly
and performing the most grotesque antics, whilst the
mother herself became positively frantic. She broke
the chain by which she was tethered, and, seizing her
infant with her trunk dashed it violently across the
stable, a distance of about twenty yards, and then
rushed about, breaking everything which she found in
her way. She was, however, ultimately secured
by the keepers, and soon recovered her equanimity.
The baby elephant, apparently none the worse for
its rough treatment, is now doing well, and the
mother is very affectionate towards it. She is very
suspicious of strangers, and when any one, except her
keeper, approaches, she raises a peculiar cry, to which
all the other elephants respond with great excitement.
The young elephant, a female, is a queer-looking
creature, 35 inches in height, 4 feet in girth round the
body, and weighs 213 pounds. The mother is twenty
years old, and weighs 8,000 pounds. She was taken to
America from Ceylon in 1865, and is named "llehe."
The father, " Mandrie," who is three years older than
his mate, was imported at the same time. It is in-
teresting-to note that the baby elephant does not suck
with its trunk, as some modern naturalists have sup-
posed, but with its mouth, as ancient writers appear
to have thought. At first the parent animal would
not stand still, and Baby was fed by the keepers milk-
ing into a funnel attached to a rubber tube, the end of
which was placed in Baby's mouth. Soon, however,
it took its sustenance in a more natural manner, thrcTr-
ing back its trunk, and applying its mouth to its
mother's breast.—Graphic.

A WONDERFUL LITTLE CRAFT.
A Bombay correspondent gives the following his-
tory of a little steam vessel which, after half a cen-
tury's vicissitudes, is being broken up (says the
G/06e). Built in 1820 or thereabouts, and christened
the Snake; she was the first steam vessel on the
Indus, or, in fact, on any river in India. Returning
to Bombay she (towing boats and barges)
carried
out the whole of the embarkation of troops, stores,
&c., sent from there during the first Burmese war
and to the expedition to the Persian Gulf from 1823
to 1826. Her services were again similarly utilised in
the China war of 1841-42, Burmese war of 1832,
Persian war of 1856, Mutiny 1857, China expedition
of 1859, and she also assisted in the Abyssinian and
Malta expeditions. Her engines were designed and
built by a Parsee and were the first ever manufac-
tured in India. How well they were constructed is
evidenced by their lasting powers. She was twice
wrecked, once in the hurricane of 1837 and again in
the cyclone of 1854, when the gunner who was in
charge ran her ashore as close as he could, opened the
'eoekks in the bottom of the vessel, and escaped q'the!
;funnel, where he sat till rescued.
'‘e Snake has carried in her day most of the not, j
'it bave arriiiellzandia, vidi 96'hi 3-1/2/id!
ke 'olcier clt,ii iiAll re.meid e 4.0
-`
tdP to El (IOWA& aIA o481&be iz. Z
'
...e harbour when eailing boat*, we ' • • '
means of transit alloat and the steam launc esV, wer
unknown. she was for long^ used to giva.Nutical in
..struotion on the steam engine to the younsAliadies
the Indian aavy, who liad many a lark; ent beard,..
' frectueutly nearly brought theinselves and Snake to ani
untimely end by their dangerous pranks - With- .th
boiler and engine-driver. She was, a wonderful littl
craft and has done right good service during 'an thiti ,
ful and chequered career. .
. .• . .
, ...4.3j.
...-.
• •
Tatimb-r—The laws of uaurl pinloisojihy' 8 liOt't
be broken. Why, you cannot even ptok iiiisliytkin
at an auction unless it has been first knocked dbwn.
Judy.