Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-01-04
ELEPHANT FIGHT AT BARODA.
A Battle OF GIantA-The Prince of
wales Entertained by His Eastern


A Battle OF GIanta-The Prince of
wales Entertained by His Eastern
Hosts.
Baroda Correspondence London TeleSraph.l
The chiet feature of the entertainment
prepared at this return call was an ele-
phant fight for which sort Of exhibition
the Couat OF Baroda has always been
famous. Native Indian princes have,
indeed, remarkable passion for such
displays, but Khunderso and his success
sor, the late Guicowar, were particularly
devoted to the dubious amusement of
watching the contest of animals, so that
at Baroda there has always been kept
up large supply Of elephants, rhinos-
ceroses, bufaloes, tigers, rams aud cam
els trained to fight for the pleasure Of
the Court. Combats still more cruel,
such as the shocking nakhi matches
wherein naked athletes tore each other
to pieces with iron claws fitted upon the
palm-used to disgrace the leisure of the
Guicowars but we may trust that such
sights are now abolished there. The
savage struggle of beasts, starved or ex-
cited into ierocity, are bad enough, in
all conscience, to witness; but these are
so very common at Indian entertain.
ments that, like a bull fight in Spain, one
sees them once or twice as part Of the
fashions Of the country. Nor, to tell the
truth, is there wanting an element of
excitement in watching the tiger and
the buffalo bull maneuver against
each other, ssber like horn against dag
ger-like tooth; or two well fed rams
come laundering, brow against brow,
with a shock that rattles farsaud near.
The Prince was introduced to certain Of
these eombsts, and saw besides. the
curious duel Of rhinoceroSes, where
despite their unwieldy bplk and awk-
ward weapons, there is really slmost as
much science displayed as Captain Bur.
ton had elaborated in his recent wonder
full treatise on sword-play, with all its
deadly mysteries OF moulinet and the
like. These cunning hehemoths fence
and foin to get the advantage of the tell
| ing thrust under the lay with their horn,
and over and over again they will close,
and press and butt one another back.
ward and forward in clouds of dust,
snorting and granting and champing
foam, while the attendants refresh them
with copious chstties OF water, neither
obtaining the fatal opportunity. By.and'
by one of the two combatants grows
weary, allowing his monGtrous jowls to
be thrust sideways or upward, and i'm
mediately, with marvellous celerity, the
successful beast drives his armed snout
under the jaw of his sdyerSpry, produc-
ing wound which is acknowledged with
| fsightiul squesl and an inglorious re-
treat on the part of the vsnquished
monster.
For the elephant ARkt proper the con.
| tending pairs are carefully trained and
| prepared beforehand with stimulating
| food and drugs, and advantage is also
taken OF that periodical frenzy displayed
in the male elephant which is known as
must. At such q time of natural excite.
ment the elephant becomes fierce and
formidable even to bis keeper, and only
to lead two such beasts forth into the
arena, and show them for moment the
waving trunk Of the distant female, pro
duces degree Of pugnscity which wants
little additional encouragement. 1t was
one Of tbs fRvorite pleasures of the I'M
feeling Roman populace to watch
elephant fights Ia tho smphitheater.
Augustus, who gave the people four hun
dred and thirty panthers, and Pompeg
who let loose six hundred lions into tbs
, arena, vegs thought to be outdone by
Trsjsn when ks produced twenty ele
plants in state of aust and pitted
them against six hundred GetuiiGn eep
tiVes. That was one elephant to thirty
men, nor you'd the odds seem dispro
portionate to thege who have witnessed
! the Indian hutti in bis wrath, trumpetinl
out blasts Of rage and defiance IRON BIZ
uplifted trunk, Strengthening his tail
dropping his greet upder-hung pointeS
| lin TO give fair play to bis ivory bayo0ets
and bis little eyes glaring al tbe Yhil'
like freballs from the shadow OF thl
huge ears. Yet there ere mshouts WIZ
will sit on their necks and push in tbI
thickest Of he'Gght brutss as mad eyer
az this-digging at their nRps, this sid
and tSst, With the ankus or hook, thougt
hardly more secure than would be tht
Captains Of two ;rop-clsds coming int
( collision, With their eighty-ton csnpor
dischargug, il they perched themselve
upon the boWsprit ends. But only thu
: best trained animals would be trusted
thus torespect man amid their wildes
!. rage; ordinary fighting elephants eai
not be ridden TO the combati the ma
houts excite and cheer them, and thel
slip of before the encounter begins
b When It does begin, such as can lool
With pleasure on these things behold
colossal duello. The enormous creature
charge like mountains rolling together
their tusks clash and clatis7, their hug
: feet delve chssms in the dust, and scat
). ter6 it 10 clouds; aud they rear up 0
It their hind legs and wrsstls for master
y With sn agility ss astonishing ss Is the
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