Morning journal and courier., 1882-05-19
An Eleph .nt off his Head

Dear Atlas-Receive, if you will, this brief account of the manners and customs of an elephant in one of three temporary seizures of violence to which the males are subject. As authenticity is everything in narrative of the kind I am permitted to say that the facts are guaranteed by Surgeon-Gen TreSsidder, now of West Dulwich, who was an eyewitness of the circumstances which occurred or had immediate knowledge of their occurrence.
 Mola Buksh belonged to ths Maharaja of Benares, and was lent by him one January to a small shooting party in South Mlrzapury consisting of three gentlemen. two of whom had with them their wives and children. He was without tusks of great size, and on what amateurs called beautiful points stanch with with tiger traiked and tractable, but credit ed from the first known of him with an un- certain temper. On the 10th of the month he took part in an expedition into the jungle; pelted wounded tiger in ravine with clOds till the brute charged and fastened on his ear, then got his foe between his legs, and kicked him from hiud-foot to fore-foot, and back again, till he was done for On the 10th he carried some of the party, including two la dies for an outing, nothing unusual being observable ln his manner, except a rather eX cited rivalry with horse which was canter- ing by his side On arriving in camp, he was fed as usual by female hands, and his affecta-
 
 into his mouth. He had however, about him rather menagerie smell, for which bath in Q neighboring river was prescribed. In perfect peace of mind all retired to rest. But at midnight came the cry, "MOla Buksh has killed his mahout" This was true, but it was generally thought-the act was acciden- tai The paroXysms had come on him about ? a. m. he at once tore himself loose, and went in search of his second attendant a of tive and cruel, and greatly detested by the animal. The mahout and his deputy were sleeping side by side, under tree shrouded in their cOverlets, as the manner of the coun- try is. Nola knelt on his enemy and killed him, and, perhaps, in attempting to rise, slipped on to the mahout, who was drunk ard and not likely to be easily awakened or to think of rolling aside At any rate, some hours afterwards, when the animal returned and saw the bodies, he only looked down at that of the mahout, but seized the other and tossed it hither and thither. All was alarm, naturally, in the camp. Cots were slung up in the trees-one fortunately banian-and the la'iies and children put ill comparative safety Morning was anxiously looked for. When it came, however, the coast WAS clear. l Mola Buksh was passing his time in wreck ing village at some distance, unroofing the houses, and plundering the sWeetmeats and 1 grain. The other elephants had been driven into the jungle; the men were armed and | vigilant, the servants on the watch, As no l alarm was given, forced march was deter mined on, and off the whole party set for an | encah1pment ten miles off. This was reach ed in safety, but the elephant was soon in 1 pursuit, upset the camels, loads an all, on the l road flung to right and left the burdens de- l serted by the flying cooies caught up two unhappy lingerers and killed them both; and pounded away over the hill stones with mad ness in his head and the unnatural activity of 1 overloaded excitement in his limbs. The | anxious friends were seated on trunks, watch 1 ing their growing encampment, when the | shout arose, Mola is coming.' And sure | enough, headlong down steep pitch, just i descended with every caution by the party, | swung into view the reckless mammoth, as ! the fends were close behind him. That 1 a moment indeed. Wives, ayahs, and ch | dren were hurried to trees scarcely of ade- 1 quate height, and the men and the servants | took their places for defense beside them | But one-I shall certainly name him-Wig- 1 ram Money, magistrate of Alirzapur, ad- vanced on the little plain before the tents alone to meet the approaching brute He | received Mola Buksh at fifty yards with his 1 first barrel, and the ball struck the center of 1 the forehead This stopped him, and a sec ond made him turn again towards the hill. He was pursued on horseback, and though he l doubled round again and approached the | tents, he remembered his lesson and, in- | deed, though he dogged the hurried marches of the party, appearing suddenly and causing great alarm, for the next day or two, he seemed to have a dread of coming quite close. The distances he travelled were scarce
 ly credible; by light and in the dark, it was | one excited and destructive raid, without ex | haustion and without repose. He tore of | roofs, he tore up wheat he devoured or scat
 tered the contents of shops. The villagers
 men and women, children and old people fled before him. He invaded two other | sporting camps besides the one he was first
 attached to- tossing the equipments about | maddening the horses, and at times surpri 1 sing unfortunate attendant. He 1 harassed the AIaharaia himself on the line ot l march, pushing over his camels and breaking
 his furniture, and forced the prince to save 1 himself by sheer galloping, in a country
 palace.
 One of his last feats was this rance ot
 high birth was on & pilgrimage to Benares
 She was encamped ill a grove Red and l white tents were enclosed by the canvas
 walls; in the innermost she herself
 The tag-rRg ent0u1Uge of native rank encir
 cled her. seedy sepoy or so, with shakoes
 over their tied up heads, and old unloadeC
 flint muskets, stood about There was
 rush of cattle and peasants down the road
 dust in clouds, and cry of "'Ghe elephant v
 The ranee's currish hirelings left her Molf
 Buksh leyeled all opposing obstacles, and
 stood before the miserable princess herself
 The slave girls had hidden themselves. The
 old lady fled to her palankeen The mad an
 imal tore her from behind it, and put her tt
 death. He feasted on heap of cake
 which had been prepared for the shrines O
 the holy city. A Brahmin crept in to ss,
 what the fate of his mistress had been. Moll
 seized him and destroyed him, and flung hin
 on the road, where his body was seen by m,
 informant.
 On the 27th the fit subsided, and Mol,
 Bul1sh walked into his stables at Ramnugguf
 the fort of his master, near Benares, glad tt
 have his wounds attended to. He had beer
 week on the loose,-ha killed twenty per sons and wounded others, and had destroyed great deal of property. Morals to storie are dull appendages; but l surely may sa.
 such an occurrence would create some excite