, 1875-11-20

FAMILIAR TALK.
THE ELEPHANT IN CENTRAL INDIA.
In tho region OF Contsal Indin, which IL testi-
tute OF rnndways or railways. elephants afo tho
cbirf reliance Of thu Traveller. bearing him III
aafety over . country often inpasshblo to any
other beast OF burden. Even tho camel ia con-
eidorcd less eure and trnstsor.hy In oil!cnlt and
dangerous passeH. but, when pursuing Jour-
pey, the olaplant ia sn object Of great ca'o,--it
being necessary to iusuro against hfh declining
fn strength D.ller thu fatgno OF long daily
marches. Several persons are required in order
to attend properly upon the animal; therefore,
tho nsllous. or driver, generally taxes hin vito
and children along with hin, to assist in biz
pecinl duties, Morning and evening the ANIMAL
must hayo a bath aud, before ho sots ont OIL
l,,s march, every part Of Lis body whc1o
tle pain la liable to crack in tho lot
slll-lls forehead, cars, paws, eio.-mtlst
DO anolntcd With GreRae. When 1T rest. hn
must bo paced in tue I'll ado and rclteved Ut his
trappings. 4 simple cord lied around one leg,
and fastened TO d stase sutiices to couine him.
81 doc'e elephant noyer attempts to break
sway from Restraint.
HIS daily rationH while on the march. consist
Of from, 40 to rs pounds Of mhcat-tiour, kneadea
into cahns With water. and pound Of ghee, Ut
clarified btttcr, aud half-pouud OF SALT Thcse
cakes arc baked In pcundoaycs. mud ona-hulf ls
given at each OF two eopasata 1ncala. These ra-
&lons ought not to be ahatcd In quantity; hence
II il important that tho travoser should look to
tho matter himself, tliu mxllaut does not
scrurio 10 rob tho elephant by way Of providing
for lis own family. Dut thu regular meals of
broad do not bv sny noans furnish Baf-
hcient sustenanco for .tha hugo bcaat. IIo
must DO regularly takcn tn tllo Jungle. whore
be selocta aid breaks oil for himself branches OF
particular trsea.-speciss OF tho ug ate his
earecial fa.orites,- lonaing thom on bis
back. rctuTna to canlp. fIe there stries oil tue
icaycs u hct he Rejects and, by single de1tosonB
btyoLD with tl.e delicate tlpgcr terminating Ills
trunk. removes tte bark from each tufg. how
ever slight, mud tl.eu d'acx'ding the wood as lso
before lla, t.nne tho teayes, regales hi1naolf
upon tho bark alone.
A apecica os Elass (7.ypha e'epannta). With
ieAyeR growing to the Alka Of Kabro.blato,
abounds u tfrc pools Of Contra! India after the
month Of april, and la preferred oy tho clephant
to nt,-ooughs. lIo Is also very fand OF tho
suga'- -caur, but tLis Il too liaatisIg food Tie
animal often makes up hatts al Garth. eenorally
of rpl loan and .wall0wB than. Thts bolua
acts violent cathatsic. and In iuntlnctive1y
employed by Ille neiouA III uo III rcsnedv tor
Intestinal worlnd with Which he Is veiy much
troubled.
1nu animal Boou becomes attached to tho
traveller WHO rides him. greeting Lis approach
with = friendly crr, ohoying Lis. llghtest dlrec'
lion, and carefully breaking tho BRANCHES bend
ing over tic path that might stslko Inn 10 pass-
ii. Rouaselet. to whom wo arc indebted for
tho ahoyp particulars, employed ahe elephant In
great ra1t of his travels in Cantral India. Al ono
time lle Was caught IN dreadful atorm, IN match
which he had uuwisel9 attempted In tho rainy
seaAon. Tho rain fell In torrents. tho lightning
played in vlo!ct HtrcAka along tbs ground, and
tho thuudor broAa IN lnceFsant pea's from
theakJ. It MAS necessary. tu Tie coufao OF the
t~ f7rr1 had 1Ir,.
by tue delnGo into deep and furious torrent.
III. N0ussolot. his travelling companion, aud thu
mahout. we're mounted upon single elephaut,
which was d,1ected toward the ragsnG currout.
Tho sagscioua beast" wltes u. Ronaseet,
"approached tho water, sounded it for mo-
rnent with his trunk, thougl. to tcst tho forco
Of the STREAM aud then fell bach. uttering two
or three CRIES Ike the sound Of CLARION. ~ If
to protest against our tenlerisy, 4 touch with a
pike on tie crown OF his head warned hlm, how
evor, that NO we're not inclined TO dBpute about
t!le matte. ana, bravery ;ses'sn,ng bimhe!f. he
insensib'o to the strength Of tho current yet it
Was only BY iettug i,Iniseif drift TOT low hun
d1od yards thst he could 1cacl, the opposite
bank. There he bad already planted its fore
slipped, and he feli baack heavily Into tic Tor.
sons, osusing tle water to dash upwards abose
our heads terrible ,a: ssy o. ,snsash eseare
rllleied and desperate. was floating along car.
Yied away by the Ut. .ea. and We could even llosr
tho roaring Of the fsiis Of tbs Detwah In iEou
Of liz. All At ouoe tho intsliigent animal ap
peased to stitfen bis bodr. We felt him swim
tn,ug; ho loft Tho bed Of Tue cur,ent. aud 700,
ne touched the bank. But there fresh dltii
Guilty awaited us. We founa ourselves facing ii
almost perpendicular bank Of clay, from to i
feet in hcight. Tho elephant buried h's feet l.
it. kncad,1iR the muddy. earth and, making
yiold under lis repealud eiforls, ha Ut lougs
aucoeeded IN FOLLOWING out parsags. Wo la
reached halt;may to The ton-,tho ground ~
NJ waa tue torrent, roaring. dashll
down 10 yards farther off. over Z
runs Of tho dyks. 4 Hlngle fa!sa move Of Il
animal would have been corta1n dsath to Iii
but the elephant seeuled to bo ~ scnablo
ourselves OF the imnnenco OF tho peril, aud
worked on With incredible enargs, exrlted BY h
m4hout, who cstessed aul slpplieated him
touching accents. At sinos tho Whole mass
LIS Alua WAS conyulsed With nervous lremo
and he uttered low, plaiptive crieB. At tAst, sft
aquarter Of An hours labor, Tho elephants ba
reached the level OF tho ground. whsn We leap
on tho bank, and. relieved of our weight, he sot
after joined CD. II may 10 imagined with wh
feehngs OF gratitude embraced the bsAre at