Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-06-30
A Scarcity of Elephants.
From the London Times.

By the last accounts from Ceylon we
hear that the Governor, with the full
concurrence of the Secretary of State,
has issued prohibition against the
destruction of elephants. This has al
ready caused disappointment to sundry
sporting travellers, and it is as well
that it 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 useful and intelli-
gent animals, which has too long pre-
vailed, has at length aroused the atten-
ton of the Colonial Government. They
ought to be largely employed in public
works. Their strength, which enables
them to draw stones of huge nagni-
tude, and to place them with ease
wherever required, renders elephant
work far more valuable and substantial
than that of the weak Indian laborers
employed on the roads and irrigation
works in Ceylon. It is particularly
in the construction of bridges that
the value of elephants is mani
fest. Nothing can be more in
teresting than to watch the docility
and intelligence of these great creatures
III the performance of their task, now
dragging, now pushing, to the exact
spot, gigantic stones, and placing them
IN their appointed position with the ac-
curacy OF a mason. Of late, unfortu-
nately, the strength OF the elephant de-
partment in Ceylon has dwindled down
to the half of its full complement, and
from every province, where works of
any importance were going on, demands
come In for the assistance of elephants,
but IN vain. Formerly, well trained
elephants were not difficult to purchase,
many were owned by private persons;
but still more by the representatives of
the Buddhist temples, who let them out
for hire when not wanted for religious
professions. Now none of any value
can be procured. The native headmen
report that elephants are disappearing,
and the wanton massacres of them in
those parts of the island where there is
sufficient population to capture them by
kraal have rendered it unlikely that
the public want can be supplied by this
means. No doubt they can be supplied
by the employment of elephant catch
ers, but the cruelties practiced on the
wretched animals by this process, in
which hardly one in three survives
the tying-up operations after the ele-
plants are noosed, induce the govern
ment to resort to it as seldom as
possible. In former days the num-.
Der and boldness OF elephants rendered
their destruction matter of necessitv:
now they are fully alive to their danger,
and lnstlnctively keep away, as gener-
al rule, from villages where they know
they will be encountered with firearms.
Complaints, no doubt, sometimes come
IN that an outlying crop has been raw
aged, IN which case the punishment of
the invaders is permitted. Rewards are
also given for the destruction Of rogue
elephants, who occupy for a time some
particular road, put to flight the post
runners and tear open the bags, which
are abandoned to them to divert their
attention. The letters scattered about
are shown by the runners in attestation
OF their story. It has, however, been
remarked that, though ordinary letters
IN such cases are recovered, the regis
tered letters have some peculiar attrac-
ton to the animal, and are carried off
by him into the Jungle In these cir
cumstances, it has been found necessary
to put stop to the issue of licenses to
shoot and capture, except for govern
ment purposes, for some time to come;
and it is desirable that sporting ,adven-
tuners should be appraised that their
only chance OF being allowed shot at
an elephant in Ceylon is in the case of
notorious rogue, or of herd indulging
IN too frequent visits TO irrigation
works, and consequent destruction of
the dams.