Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1875-06-15

DnD GOfton.
DESTRUCTION OF ELEPHANTS. The London
Times says: by the last accounts from Cey.
lon We hear that the Governor, with the iu
concurrence of the Secretary of State, has ls
sued prohibition against the destruction OF
elephants. This has already caused disappoint-
ment to sundry sporting travellers, and 1t Is as
we'll that il should be generally known, that
others who are intent on the slaughter OF big
game may direct their steps elsewhere. The
wholesale and wanton destruction of these USE
full and intelligent animals which has too long
prevailed, has at length aroused the attention
of the Colonial Government. They ought to
be largely employed in public works. Their
strength, which enables them to draw stones
OF huge magnitude, and to place them with
ease wherever required, renders elephant work
far more valuable aud substantial than that OF
tho weak Indian labOrers employed Oh the
roads and irrigation works OF Ceylon. 1t ls
particularly iu the construction of bridges that
the value Of elephants is manifest. Nothing
can be more Interesting than to watch the do
cty and intelligence of these great creatures
10 the performance of their task, low dragging,
now pushing to the exact spot, gigantic stones
and placing them in their appointed position
with the accuracy Of mason.
in former days the number and boldness of
elephants rendered their destruction matter
of necessity; nov they are fully alive to their
danger, aud lustinctIvcly keep away, as gen
eral rule, from villages where they kuow they
will be encountered with fire arms Complaints,
no doubt, sometimes come in that an outlying
crop has been ravaped, 10 which case the pun
ishment of the invaders is permitted. Rewards
are also given for the destruction of rogue ele-
plants, whu occupy for time some particular
road, put 10 fight the post rusners, and tear
open The bags, which are abandoned to them
to divert their attention. The letters scattered
about arc shown by the runners 10 attestatIoo
Of their story 1t has, however, been remarked
that, though ordinary letters 10 such cases are
recovered. the registered Letters have some par.
ticular attraction to the animal, and are carried
off by him into the jungle.
I'm these circumstances it has been found
necessary to put stop to the issue Of licenses
TO shoot aud capture, except for government
purposes, for some time to come; and 1t is dc
slrablc tt at sporting adventures should be ap.
prised that their ouly chance of being allowed
shot at au elephant in Ceylon is is the case OF
notorious rogue, or of herd INDUCING IN too
frequent visits to irrigation works, and conse'
queut destruction Of dams.
ABOUT Hymns Book. The Topographic
Cal Advertiser says:
"We sometimes fear that there are more lies
sung on Sunday than are spoken on all the
other days of the week and hymn book makers
are responsible for them. You cannot take up
selection Of hymns that is not largely made up
of rhymes expressing experiences that not one
person in hundred of those who sing them is
conscious of at the time Old Piiny wrote that
the early Christians met together and sang
hymns to Christ as God. Nowadays worship
pers sing, besides these, hymns to angels and to
men, TO ministers and to sinners, and execrable
jingles they are, mostly. A hymn book con-
tanning if: can hundred hymns has at least a
thousand too many. Barely hundred perfect
original hymns or parsphrases have been yet
produced in the glish language. By admit
ting good translations of the tender and majestic
hymns of Latin and German authors, with Eng
ish hymns of a fair degree of merit, two hun
dred more might be added By large stretch
ing of poetic taste and religious feeling, anoth-
er hundred might be taken. And now we
should have book of half q thousand hymns.
Whenever really good hymn atterwsrd sp-
peared, an inferior hymn could be omitted to
make room for It's insertion. In this way the
churches would have book that could be used
by all denominations-a portable book and
cheap book"