The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1854-08-12
Wild Elephants.

Dhant, can form no idea Of his real charac-
ter, either mentally or physically. The un-
wieldy and seepy-looking beast, who, pen
ned up in his cage at menagerie, re-
ccves sixpence in his trunk, and turns
around with difficulty to deposit it in a box;
whose mental powers seem to be concen-
trated in the idea of receiving buns tossed
into a gaping mouth by chiIdren's hands
this very beast may have come from war
Ike stock. His sire may have been the ter
ror Of district pitiless highwayman,
whose soul thrsted for blood; who, lying in
wait in some thick bush, would rush upon
the unwary passer-by. and know no pleasure
greater than the act Of crushing his victim
10 shapeless mass beneath his feet <
| have even heard people exclaim, upon
hearing anecdotes of elephant hunting.
Poor things" Poor things, indeed
should like to see the very person who thus
expresses his pity going with his best pace
with a savage elephant after him; give him
lawn to run upon if he likes, and see the
elephant gaining foot in every yard of the
chase, fire in his eyes, fury in his headlong
charge; and would not the flying gentleman
who lately exclaimed, Poor thing" be
thankful to the lucky bullet that would save
lin from destruction? There are no ami
mails more misunderstood than elephants :;
they are naturally savage. wary, and revenge
tu, displaying as great courage when in their
wild state as any animal known. The fact
of their great natural sagacity renders them
more dangerous as foes. Even when tanned
there are many that are not safe for a stran-
ger 10 approach, and they are then only kept
IN awe by the sharp driving hook of the
lnohout.
Elephants are gregarious, and the average
I!uu.ber in herd is about eight, although
they frequently form bodies of fifty and even
eighty III oue troop. Each herd consists
ot very large proportion Of females, and
they are constantly met without a single
bull in their number. ! have seen some
small herds formed exclusively Of bulls, but
this Is very race. The bull is much larger
1Aan the female, and is generally more saw
age. His habits frequently induce him to
pretec solitude TO a gregarious life. He sell
dom strays maay miles from one locality,
whicSl he haunts for many years. He be-
comes what Is termed a rogue" He
then waylays the natives, and, in fact,
hecomes Il scourge TO the neigh6orhood,
attacking the inoffensive without the
slightest provocation, carrying destruction
into The natives paddy-felds, and per-
iectly regardless of night fires or the usual
precautions fox soaring wild beasts. The
daring pluck of these "rogues" is only
eQualted by their extreme cunning. Eudow-
rd Wits that wonderful power Of scent pecu-
liar TO elephants, he travels in the day-tim
dolrn the wind; thus nothing can follow
upon his track without his knowledge. He
winds his enemy, as the cautious hunter ad-
vances noiselessly upon his track, and he
stands with ears thrown forward, tail erect,
trunk thrown high in the air, with its dis
tended tip pointed to the spot from which
he winds the silent but approaching danger
Perfectly motionless does he stand like a
statue III ebony, the very essence of atten-
ton, every nerve of scent and hearing
stretched to it cracking point; not a mus
Gle moves, not sound Of rustling branch
against his rough Sides he is a mute figure
of wild and fierce eagerness. Meanwhile.
the wary tracker stoops to the ground. and
with practised eye pierces the tangled
hrushwood in search of his colossal feet
Still farther and farther he silently creeps
forward, when suddenly a crash bursts
through the jungle; the moment has arrived
for the ambushed charge, and the elephant
is upon him Bakers Rife and Hound in
Ceylon.
oA 1o,x 4.