The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1868-02-08

any ace!ueht, an elephant becomes hopeless
ly separated from his own band, he is not
permitted TO attach himself to any other
lie may browse in their vicinity, or resort to
The same place to drink or battle: but the
intercourse is only on distant and conven
tional footing, and no familiarity or intimate
association is, under any circumstances. per
mitted. There can be no reasonable doubt
that this jealous and exclusive policy not
only contributes to produce, but mainly
serves to perpetuate the class of solitary ele-
phants' which are known by the term COON.
dahs In India, and which, from their vicious
propensi'es and predatory habits, are called
hora or kogues, in Ceylon.
A rogue elephant is like a rogue AMONG
us--en outcast and like the human name.
SAKE he revenges himself by giving up his
lie to mischief. In Ceylon they spend
their nights in marauding." They destroy
plantations; they tread down gardens. they
ruin rice fields and cocoanut trees. They
hide IN the forests in the day time, but some.
times they will venture out and boldly carry
on booty from the fields, or suddenly rush
on the traveller in the thick woods and muir,
der HIM without mercy. They seem to hate
men, and no doubt have causes enough to
do so from their point of view. The natives
are glad when an English sportsman arrives,
and eagerly offer to guide him, in the hope
'hat ne may lay low one of these truly ele-
| phantine foes.
The natives tell many interesting stories
OF their adventures with rogue elephants,
ana from these narratives, rs written by
S'nghalese gentlemen, will select one of
the best.
The superintendent of cocoanut planta.
t'oh near Negombo told a story of an adven-
ture with an elephant, which shows TINT
!our legged "rogues - are addicted n
sport as we'll as twolcgged hunters.
rogue elephant had done so much
injury to the plantation that the owners de.
term'ned to kill it, They made up a party
OF ten persons, who carried six loaded rifles,
he leader was Mr.. Lindsay, an Englishman
who was then living at Ceylon.
| AS they were quietly walking along the
path which led 10 the spot where the ele.
phant mad been seen an hour before the ma.
tive who was in advance shouted wildly.
There there" and took TO his heels.-
he brute at this time was only thirty or
! forty yards from the hunters. Every one of
them ut once followed the example of the ma.
i've, and ran for his life. The elepbant
gave chase, screaming at the top of his shrill
voice. The Englishman succeeded in reach.
ing the branches of "a tree in safety: the
rest quickly initiated his example.
las for myself" said the gentleman who
told me the story, " although made one or
Two snperhuman efforts, ! could not climb
The tree. But there was no time to he
lost The elephant was running at me with
his trunk bent down in curve toward the
ground AT this critical moment Mr.. Lind.
say held out his foot, by the help of which.
and then of the branches, which were three
or four feet above my head, | managed to
scramble up the branch. The elephant hes.
''ated few moments, evidently considering
what was best for him to do. Hismode ofat.
tack shows how sagacious these huge creatures
are First, coling his trunk around the
stem of the tree, he tried in vain to tear it
up by the roots. Putting his head against
it he endeavored to push it over After
pushing for several minutes he found that
his efforts were useless. Then in order to
weaken its hold, he tramped down all the
nrOlPctlDu I
The tree as lie did SO. He failed again to
push it over, and tried again and again.
Seeing pile Of timber near by which had
been lately cut down, he carried it. piece by
piece, to the root Of the tree, and piled it M
with as much judgement and skill as if he
had served an apprenticeship to wood
sawyer.
After carrying thirty-six pieces he mount
ed the PLATFORM put his hind legs on it,
raised the fore part of his body and rested it
on the tree, and then reached out his trunk
for his prey. But the strategem failed they
were still out of reach.
Mr. Lindsay now thought that as fair play
was no more than his due, he would try his
skill on the elephant, and after two shots,
succeeded in killing him 1t is only rogue
or outcast elephants, or female elepeants
after their young have been killed, that are
dangerous to travellers. The ordinary ele.
plant is not like the 'rogue." savage, wary
and revengeful, or, as Sir S. Baker expresses
it, ''thrsting for blood, and knowing no
greater pleasure than the act of crushing his