St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1878-09-21
tains to at least $50 vears Mich |

|
exaggeration is current with regard tc
the animals height; the largest seen by
the author measured nine feet ten inches
at the shoulder, and yet there have been
stories of Indian elephants measuring
from seventeen to twenty feet high.
Twice round an elephants foot is said to
be his height, and generally this measure
ment is exact. The price of elephants
has enormously increased of late years;
but the government kheddahs or ele-
plant catching establishments enable our
| government to obtain good animals at a
reasonable cost. An elephant, we are
told, which costs the government $40
to capture would cost at least ESQ in
the market. The difficulties of elephant
catching are of course great; and there
IS nothing more interesting in this
volume than the sportsman's account of
his first success in Mysore, when, after
infinite labor and many failures, he
succeeded in capturing titty-three ele-
plants. 81 often Think" Mr.. Sander
son writes, "of the rapture of that
moment. An hour of such varied and
high excitement as elephant. catching is
surely worth lifetime of uneventtul
routine in towns Sore Gisappoint-
ment had been undergone by my
self and men. Many tedious
days and nights had we !abored against
discouragipg incidents and hardships.
But all was forgotten in the success of
that moment" There was still much
work to be done, for the beasts driven
into the enclosure had to be secured
with the help of tame elephants, and
fifty-three wild and frightened animals
cannot be "hobbled" without some
danger.
During the tying~up process in the
kheddah several amusing incidents &C.
Cured. Active fellows would constantly
cross it On foot with ropes or other
things that were required, and at first
they were pertinaciously chased by the
wild ones. The men made for the pro-
lection of the tame elephants, and it was
considered creditable to do this with as
little hurry as circumstances would ad,
NIT. The arena formed centre of at
traction to the on lockers, as the theatre
of Spanish buIl>tght may do; and the
men who showed the greatest GOODNESS
were loudly applauded. The elephants,
however, soon gave up pursuing when
they became accustomed to seeing
people The wild ones did not attempt
TO interfere with the men when they
gained the shelter of the tame
elephants. On one occasion q friend
N the forest department who was
riding on one of our elephants was
swept off, as we'll as the mahout,
~ an overhanging creeper when their
elephant was dragging captive acros
he kheddah. Having but confused
dea of the points of the compass when {
hey gained their legs, they rushed to-
Yards the nearest elephant for protection.
t was very fine animal, but, unfortu- E
lat y, wild ones which they mistook
or friend. The elephant was rather I
tar.led, and did not take so prompt an ,
dvantage of their mistake as it might t
ave done. They meanwhile made some !
emarkably good time towards the gate r
the enclo~ure, which they reached in e
aEety." +
On another. occasion Mr.. Sanderson Y
imself had very narrow escape t
While his elephant was facing a young 7
lsker, and was therefore unable to T
rotect his master from the attack, {
lid female rushed at him more than 4
nee, injured his thigh severely and
ould no doubt have killed him had not
spear struck her in the head at the
-itical moment, while tame elephant, G.
1shing at the beast the next minute 4
most knocked her over. A