The Sun.
London, England, 1858-02-01 00:00:00

DISEMBARKATION OF ELEPHANTS AT

CALCUTTA FROM BURMAII.

CALCU.TTA, DEC. 24.
Two cargoes of elephants from Burrneh have been
landed at Calcutta since the last mail left. One
arrived in the ship Tubal Cain, consisting of 20
elephants; the other in the Belgravia, and numbered
50 elephants. The process of hoisting these most
gigantic of existing quadrupeds from their berths on
board ship, and getting them on shore, was a novel
and curious eight. Th arrival of the elephants was
mentioned in the newspapers, and many persops
were attracted to witness their disembarkation. The
Governor-General and Lady Canning were among
the visitors, and many of the Government officials,
officers of the garrison, and others, attended while
the lauding was in progress. It took place at the
Government dockyard, about half smile below Fort
William. Strange to say, there is no wharf at this
dockyard alongside of which the vessels could be
brought, so that thei had to be moored about 50
yards off from the shore. They were, however
brought near a jetty, at the extremity of which is
a large crane, and by means of this crane, and
the tackle on board ship, all the elephants veer
safely landed. The first patty in the Tubal Cain
were lauded in a somewhat different manner from
the other in the Belgravia. When the animals
were hoisted up from between decks, the hoisting
tackle was connected with the crane chains, and the
crane being then turned slowly round, each ele-
phant in succession was lowered and deposited on
the bank of the river. This plan gave too much.
liberty te the elephants alter reaching terra firma;
for, as some of them chose to indulge in a roll an&
bath in the shallow water after their voyage, time
was lost before the drivers could manage to lead
them away. It was therefore found more conve-
nient and expeditious to lower each el phant into a
barge alongside the ship, and to land him afterwards
by drawing the boat the short distance to the shore.
The fifty elephants in the Belgravia were all
brought between decks, part on the main deck,
and the remainder iu the orlop deck below. Not
many vessels would have the necessary height be-
tween decks—from eight to ten feet ; and there was
only just space enough in the Belgravia for the
larger animals to stand upright without touching
the tint bore of the deck above. The elephants were
ranged on each side of the ship, strong beams being
placed so as to confine them from rolling towards
the centre while the ship was in motion. Every-
thing was left as open as possible for purposes of
ventilation, but yet the congregation of so many
large animals caused the atmosphere to be very
hot and oppressive. Some of the more mischievous
were tethered by a chain attached to one or two of
their legs, to prevent them from annoying their
neighbours. When about to be removed from the
ship, each animal was brought under the main hatch-
way, the opening of which had of course been
lengthened and widened so as to admit of their
descent when they were embarked at Moulmein.
Each elephant on board had a mahout, or driver,
aid a coolie, or servant, for feeding and cleaning
him. To these men they had become accustomed,
and were greatly subjected to their influence. The
elephant's mahout, assisted by the sailors, arranged
a strong canvas sling, or girth, edged with strong
rope, round the animal's carcase, and, the tackle
being adjusted, the huge fellow was slowly raised
off his feet, and the ascent was commenced. One of
the largest was said to weigh 3 tons 2i cwt, There
was no opposition to the process of hoisting on
the part of the animals, with one or two ex-
ceptions ; indeed, for the most part they appeared
anxic us each to have his turn as soon as possibl2, foe ..
they had sagacity enough to understand it wet
means of quitting the ship, as it had t -ter
of bringing them into it. There was greal7 :Ce-
ment among the crowd on shore whe4 ey
swain's whistle was heatd-dirdetiiir .„ee,
the capstan to hoist away, a124110t f • -*:4li:* bit-
ing ropes, which were cony ctird with siy and
wizen mass of the ship, became Sicitfil • n. tight-
ened, presently the rough, inet Clooldeig mass of the
animal's spine and back was seen above the deck ;
then part of the head, with which the animal from
time to time prevented himself from -being struck
against the sides of the hatchway as he swung
round on either side ; the small sluggish
eye, which seemed - ..to be calmly surveying
rho surroundings, - scene ; the active probos-
cis, forming • by its constant movements
a remarkaleleet:ontrast with the rest of the passive
frame ; and, finally, after the crane tackle had
been connected, the whole creature came into
view, dangling in the air, and suspended by a
couple of ropes which seemed like mere threads
compared with the size of the animal which de-
pended from them. He was then swung over the
bulwarks, and lowered into the barge alongside. It
was amusing to observe the quiet way iu which the
animal avoided the blow wheu his feet or legs were
likely to strike against the side of the ship, and the
way in which he assisted in taking off the strain of
the ropes and raising himself when being passed
over the bulwarks to make his descent into the
lighter. One is hardly led to anticipate much adroit-
ness from such a bulky creature, not merely on ac-
count of its size, but also because its dull-looking
loose hide conceals, in a great degree, that evidence
of life and passion which, in the horse, and most
other animals, is so strongly marked by starting
veins and the rapid muscular movements of its whole
body. As soon as the elephant was in the lighter,
the mahout, who had got down before Min, at once
jumped on his neck, and the animal immediately
yielded himself to the direction of his accustomed
master. Sometimes he would appear a little ner-
yetis, putting his trunk into the water to try its
depth, with a view, perhaps, to ascertaining if it
were possible to walk ashore ; but generally he
began turning over some of the fresh grass
placed in the bottom of the boat to divert
attention, and remained quiet until the boat
was brought as near the ground of the dock-
yard as possible. Then, at a signal from the
maheut, after again leaning over and carefully
testing the depth of water with his proboscis, he
slowly raised one huge foot over the boat's side,
then the other, and in a few miutes he was on his
way to the place where the rest of his companions
were picketed.
No accident occurred during the disembarkation,
hut two elephants were drowned at Moulmein in
embarking them. The animals first landed were not
picketed, and for want of this precaution one of
them made off in the course of the evening for a
stroll. Search was made for him during the night,
but he was not discovered until the next morning.
The police then notified that he was ina garden
about seven miles from the' dockyard whence he
started. A couple of his companions and some
drivers were despatched to bring him back, but they
were nut permitted to proceed, it being contrary to
law for elephants to appear in the streets of Cal-
cutta, or within a space of 5 miles round the city,
on account of the danger from frightening horses.
A party of 10 men, armed with spears, were sent to
tiring back the truant. The only mischief he had
done during the night consisted in having entered
several compounds, and helped himself to sundry
cabbages and other succulent vegetables,
All the elephants were of large size, and landed
in excellent condition. It is expected that they will
all suffer somewhat from fever after the confine-
ment and close atmosphere they were subjected
to during the voyage, but a little medicine will
soon remove this. While on board ship
they were fed on rations of rice, with an allow-
ance of green fodder, a large proportion of which
consisted of the stems and leaves of an immense
species of pineapple found wild at Burmah. After
landing, the flies in the dockyard annoyed
them greatly. Looking at their tough hides, it
was not easy to understand how such a surface
could be so sensitive. The plan they adopted to
rid themselves of the annoyance consisted in ga-
thering up in the hollow extremity of the proboscis
a quantity of duet and small gravel, which was
either thrown over the head so as to fall in a
shower along the back, or projected with force
between the fore legs so as to sweep away the
intruders from the skin beneath. The captain of
the Belgravia brought a young elephant, between
four and five years old, and about the size of a
pony, as a private speculation. It lived on the
upper deck, near the captain's cabin, and was re-
markably tame. Four hundred rupees, or forty
pounds sterling, was the price of this animal.
The government elephants were marched up to
Barrackpore at night, leaving Calcutta at 10 p.m.,
after the traffic of the day was over. It is strange
that not only is the horse afraid of the elephant, a
fear which is easily comprehended, but the elephant
is equally timid with regard to the horse, and eon-
siderable training is required to get rid of this
mutual distrust and alarm when the animals have
been unaccustomed to each other's society. The use
' for which the elephants just landed are especially
wanted is carrying commissariat stores. '1 hey can
carry an enormous weight, and can go in places where
a cart cannot move. One elephant take with ease on
his back two large soldiers' tents complete, each
made of double cloth, and capable of accommodating
16 men, and can march at the rate of four miles
an hour with his load. The driver, sitting on his
neck, guides and urges him on by means of a short
iron instrument, painted at the end, with which h..
pricks him about the head, andliianginses n]
sickle-like projection at the Bide, which
and serves to
into the pendulous flap of the ear, ann. Nra-ny
turn him to either side as occaorioree
by having their
of the elephants are much disguised
Parts of the head, are
meat. The ear, and ear lobes torn in varioustaidiner
d certain
of the mahout ; musket
alone sensitive to the B°"d
think hide of the body, and
,„ off theticass by this instru-
bullets rifle bullet frequently fails to
penetrate its substance.
even the conical