The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1867-07-13

An enormous number of elephants are
destroyed in the course OF every year. often
as unpleasant neighbours to man in the wild
state, prone to make havoc with the rice
and grain fields, but far more persstenlk
and fully to meet the demands of commerce
for the ivory OF the tusks. Though the larg
est aud the strongest OF all existing guadru
peds, the animal is very readily decoyed in
to captivity in order to be domcsticated, and
is as easily slain by the hunters rifle. The
great bull elephant Of three tons weight
leader Of hcrd-gencraliy falls lifelcss in
an instant, if ball is skillully planted in
the eye, or at the base Of the trunk, or be,
hind the ear and . crack " spOramen have
been known to kill right and left, one with
each barrel. In part Of the northern pro
vince OF Ceylon, upon the reward of few
shillngs per head being offered by the au
thoritles, 800 were despatched in less than
three years by the natives. Sheffield alone
requires annually the slaughter Of large
army Of the huge pachyderms, estimated
some years ago at ~, 900, to furnish ivory
for the various articles produced in its man
ntacturing establishments and every civil
iAed country needs supply OF the material
for the useful and ornamental arts. Hence
not being prolific it is by no means improb
able, that long before our human story is
over the elephant will be numbered with
extinct species.
The tnsks Of the elephant are genuine
teeth, but OF peculiar form, and large di
mensious when perfectly developed. They
alone supply that variety Of dentine or tooth
substance which is properly called ivory,
though many other animals, as the hippo
potomus, narwhal and walrus, possess teeth
horns, or tusks OF sufficient SIZE and denslt,
10 he used in the arts for the like purposes
and which hence popularly bear the same
name. Oi the two existing species OF ee
phant, the Indian and the African, the latter
has by lar the larger tusks. Ihey supply
1he manufactures with ms best material,
Fuoed on account OF ats closer gram, supe
rior whiteness, and capablity OF receiving
the highest polish. Sometimes the tuskS are
Slnnted' helng not more than ten or twelve
ihcheS III length, ana weighing only lew
pounds; but when completely formed IA SIN,
gle tnsk VIII sometimes weiSh l'o IDS, ana
occasionally consloerahly more. a pair az
peared IN the Great EXhipition OF 1921, Ia
Ken IRON an elephant ki'!ea on me banks
~ Lake N2Ahi'' "n'cn welShed o.' IDS.
zach tpsl measured eight icet SIX inches III
length, an" bad II circuit or twenty'tw"
inches al me baSe:
In very high attitudes, %hern the remains
OF ANIMALS are preserved ior ages by the rig
orous coio OF t!e ci',ha'e' iurlher supply
ol IVORY IS optaineu from .he tusks OF eA'
Mhct sprclesi " nh VIII 'ne po"s, s1l,e
,''1'S w." lne r.naa n ha 'ar
{'e'Ttn ~ , W., ~, a,,ho m'',',
hn' niue a''era',oh. ne nor'hrrn Pag's o.
SIBERIA, eSP"eia''y 'he io"e; N"InS VI In'
lena anu some SI,'''s III tme p Ih W'',el
'''e wen. known io.n',,rn 'C' 1l'ese iu"
mug Things, or sn'm$" G ~ %sa IAN t,He,
as ,hey are locally cal'eu' i.o"' l'''r OBVIOUS n
;an',Iu',y. IN me itar h ~; an obscure 'a'
Itater name" i'itH" wv il s,s o occasion ~
WIS.,, lne shore oi !le A'uc ocean' III"
%h'!e mere nero % re'nucg' i1li.hg oHe'
ne ice rom tne '"t'n ,,;,I. ~ .i'c ''"eh
OF the ANIMALS ne 'faVrieo WIN Sisase ana
"osS over me nee ne,u? iot s',t'y A''y ni'eS
anu dnen eauic 10 'i ,S'''nd peSo'u WING"
was aliolhfr' .iIf n'e"io . u sl'a'' arcn'
Peiago nov no" hhoTi ao 'ne h'aNnov group
or new siberia lie" SP Mlis af are f more geo