San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1878-09-21
I. II. JULIAN, Editor.
Reliable Facts About Elephants.

In his book, "Thirteen Years Among
the Wild Beasts of India" Mr.. &. T.
Sanderson deals at considerable length
with the subject of elephants. Many OF
his statements about the Indian elephan,
will be found to differ from the opinions
commonly held, and also from the in
teresting descriptions of the animal
published by Sir Emerson Tcnnenl.
This book, Mr.. Sanderson observes, has
removed some of the grossest misappre-
tensions regarding the elephant, but
cit is full OF the errors which are un-
avodable when man writes on sub
ject with which he has no practical ac-
quaintance;" and in many places theory
and fancy are said TO be substituted for
fact. Thus, for instance, Sir Emerson
Tennent tells a story of an elephant that
leaped over barricade fifteen feet high,
whereas the animal can not take its four
feet off the ground at the same moment,
and can neither canter, gallop, nor trot.
And, according to Mr.. Sanderson, the
elephant is in many respects stupid
animal. Its chief virtues, he says, are
obedience, gentleness, and patience.
But this gentleness may surely be re-
garded, on the writer's own showing, as
sign of intelligence. "The most in
telligent horse" he writes, steam not be
depended on not to tread on its mas
ter's toes, and, if terrified, makes no
hesitation in dashing away, even should
he upset any one in so doing. But ele-
plants, even huge tuskers whose heads
are high in the air, and whose keepers
are mere pigmies beside them, are so
cautious that accidents very seldom oc-
Cur through carelessness on their part"
Elephants travel in herds and in strict
Indian file. When calf is born the
herd remains with the mother two days;
the calf IS then able to travel, and can
cross rivers and climb hills by the as
sistance of its dam. Elephants are said
to swim better than any other land ami
mails, and Mr.. SandersOn relates that
batch of seventy which he sent from
Dacca to Barrackpur had the Gauges
and several of its large tidal branches to
cross. SIN the longest swim they were
six hours without touching the bottom
After rest on q sand-bank, they COM
pleted the swim in three more. Not
one was lost" Mr.. Sanderson observes
that the remains of an elephant that had
died natural death are scarcely ever
met with. He has never seen such re-
mains himself, and never met any one
amongst the jungle tribes or profession
al elephant hunters who had done so
except at a time when murrain visited
Al kn
"would not decay for some years, and
teeth and tusks would survive for some
time; yet not single pair of worries
has ever, as far as know, been found
in the Mysoie jungles during the time
have known them" The writer can
give no explanation of this fact.
How long the wild elephant lives is
uncertain; but Mr.. SandersOn thinks it
attains to at least $50 years. Much ex-
aggeration is current with regard to the
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
II to 20 feet high. Twice round an ele-
plants foot is said to be his height, and
generally this measurement is exact.
The price of elephants has enormously
increased of late years; but the Govern
ment kheddahs, or elephant catching
establishments, enable our Government
q obtain good animals at reasonable
,ost. An elephant, we are told, which
costs the Government f40 to capture,
would cost ut least ESQ in the market.
The difficulties of elephant catching |
ire, of course, great; and there is moth ,
ne more interesting in this volume than
he sportsman's account of his first sue ,
less in Mysore, when, after infinite Ia ,
,or and many failures, he succeeded in !
.apturipg 50 elephants. 81 often
hink," Mr.. Sanderson writes, "of the 7
apture of that moment. An hour of 7
UGH varied and high excitement as elc-
liant catching is surely worth II life.
me of uneventful routine in towns. !
ore disappointment had been under
one by myself and men. Many tedious h
avs and nights had we labored against S
iscouraging incidents and hardships. h
mt all was forgotten in the success of II
lat moment" There was still much a
ork TO be done, for the beasts driven i,
Ito the Enclosure had to be secured with d
ne help of tame elephants, and 81 wild W
nd frightened animals can not be sshob- :,
led without some danger. o
During the tying-up process in the
heddah several amusing incidents oc- K
nrred. Active fellows would constant a
! cross it on foot with ropes or other II
lings that were required, and at first
icy were perlinaciously chased by the r,
lid ones. The men made Tor the pro- b
'ctiun of the tame elephants. and il "A
a considered creditablc To do this with II
! little hurry Is circumstances would {
init. The arera formed 4 center of
Traction to the on-lookers, As the the
er Of Spanish bull-fght may do; and a.
q men who showed the greatest cool G