Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1854-05-03
TIA. Pleasure of ELEPHANT Hunting.

,;nt, and interesting descriptions If elephant nun
| ting. derived from the personal experience 81 th'
| author Mr. ;. ". Baker. Al one time, a. mr'
| paker was wandering with his brother among the
mighty ruins Of by gone palaces which are sirewh
over the island Of Ceylon, he found himself IN me
| INN ,dinie vicinity OF two elephants, upon Whose ~,
destruction he unhe statinglY determined. Inc
elephants retreated TO jungle, and while he was
deliberatiug upon proper mode OF PROCEDURE"
suddenly heard deep gutturai sound IN the ih,oS
rattan, and the same instant the whole ihhBieu
mass burst asunder within four feet Of the spot
where he was standing, and he saw the furious
head Of an elephant IN full charge upon nm.
IL had barely time 10 cock my rifle aud the
barrel almost touched him rs fired. ] knew u
was in vain, as bis trunk was raised. ID. hteu
his right hand barrel at the same moment with
out effect. from the same eause. ] jumped on
one side and attempted to spring through the u'eP
mud; il was of no use. the long grass entangled
my feet and in another instant lay sprawling
in the enraged elephants path within afoot OF
him. In that moment Of suspense expected I"
hear the crack of my own bones, al his massive
foot would be upon me. IL was an atom OF
time I heard the crack of gun; it was B's last
barrel | fell spongy weight strike my heel
aud turning quickly heels over head, rolled a
few puoes aud regaincd my feet. That last shot
hnd hoorcd him just as he was upon me, the END
of his trunk had fallen upon my heel. Still he
was not dead. but he struck at me with his trunk
a. passed round his head 10 give him finish.
or with the four ounce rifle which had snatched
from our solitary gun-bearer'
But of all the adventures related by Mr.. Ba-
kerr the following is Of the most thrilling inter
est He had discovered in large PLAN, which
was covered with huge lemon grass 10 "A height OF
ten or twelve feet, herd of ten elephants, and
in company with bis brother had shot five OF
them We give the story in his own language ::
IL had one barrel still loaded and was push
ing my way through the tangled grass towards
the spot where the five elephants lay together
when ! suddenly heard Wallace shrek out
i .ook out. sir Look out-an elephants com
ng
II turned round in moment; and close past
Wallace from the very spot where the last dead
elephant lay, came the very essence and incnrna-
ton of 'rogue'eophani in full charge. His trunk
was thrown high in the air, his ears were cock
ed. his tail stood high above his back, rs stiff as
n poker and screaming exactly like the whistle
of n railway engine he rushed upon me through
the high grass with velocity that was perfectly
wonderful. His eyes flashed as he came ON, and
he had singled me out as his victim.
have often been in dangerous positions, but
never felt so totally devoid of hope as did in this
instance. The tangled grass rendered retreat
impossible. had only barrel loaded, and
that useless, as the appraised trunk protected
his forehead. | felt myself doomed; the few
thoughts thnt rush through mems minds IN such
hopeless positions flew through mine, and | re-
solved t. wait for him til o was close upon me be-
fore fired hoping that he might lower his trunk
aud expose his forehead.
lie rushed along Mt the pace ola horse in full
speed in n few moments, as the grass flew 10 tho
right and left before him, he was close upon me,
but still his trunk was raised and could not fire.
One second more, and at this hcadlong pace he
WIS within three feet of me down sashed his
trunk with the rapidity of whip-thong, and
with a shrill scream of fury he was upon ma.
fred at TINT ins'nn but in the twinkling of
an eye was flying through the air Ike ball
from bat. At the moment of firing, had jump
ed 10 the left, but he struck me with his tusk in
full charge upon my right thigh, and hurled me
ought or ten PAGES from him. That very moment
he stopped, aud turning round, he beatthe grass
with his trunk and commenced strict search
for me. | heard him advancing close to the spot
where lay rs still as death, knowing that my
lust chance lay in conccalment. | heard the
grass rustlmg close to the spot where | lay ;
closer and closer lac approached, and ut length
beut the grass with his trunk several times ex-
actly above me. held my breath, momentum
" eXpcctng TO feel his ponderous foot upon me.
Although had not felt the sensation of fear
while had stood opposed to him, felt like what
| never wish to feel again while he delibe-
ratel y hunting mt up. Fortunately | had re
served my fire until the rifle had almost touched
him, and Ind spoiled his acute power of scent
10 my joy heard the rustlmg of the grass grow
aincr again heard it nj still greater dis
lance; at length il gone.
\ WONDERFUL MEMORY w e are acquainted
with young man, "A clerk in this city, who once
committed to memory in single evennga whole
page of the \. Y journal of Commerce, md re-
peated the same with great exaotness. In the
company of a number of literary young men he
defed any one present to repeat line of poetry
from any standard work, the next line of which
he could not recite and give the name of the au-
thor. Some hundred quotations were made. and
IN each instance the right author named and
the connecting lines given. The power of re-
tention IN this persons memory was most remark
able, AS the above named facts abundantly prove
" Y. Transcript
AN ERRING FAIR ONE CAUGHT AND GAGGED
| Yesterday morning some little excitement was
created among the ladies attached to Franconi',
| llippodrome, stopping at the Merchants Hotel
by the sudden arrest of young girl belonging Il
their troupe, who had arrived from New Y ork tn,
evening previous. 1t appears that ON Wednes
day a telegrapLic dispatch had been received
from very respectable gentleman of Westfeld
\. " statng, that his daughter had been entcet
from her home and induced to join the Hippo
drome troupe by two females belonging to the es
| adjustment and Mt the same time urging that sh,
should be taken in custody and retained until h,
arrived here Two policemen were dispatche,
| to meet the down train last night, who got OF