The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1884-04-05
Elephants as Burglars.

A writer on the elephant gives the fol-
lowing account of an attack by wild ele
plants upon grain depot in the island of
Ceylon: A small body of Sepoys stationed
at an outpost at Fort de Gale, to protect
a granary containing large quantity of
rice-was suddenly removed, in order to
quiet some unruly villagers, a few miles
distant, who had set our authorities at de-
fance. Two Of our party happened to be
on the spot at the moment. No sooner
had the Sepoys withdrawn than herd of
wild elephants, which had been long noticed
in the neighborhood, made their appearance
in front of the granary. They had been
preceded by scout, which returned to
the herd, and having no doubt satisfied
them in a language which to them needed
no interpreter that the coast was clear, they
advanced at brisk pace towards the build
ing When they arrived within few
yards of it, quite in martial order, they
made asudden stand, and began deliberately
to reconnoitre the object of their attack.
Nothing could be more wary and methodi-
cal than their proceedings. The walls of
the granary were of solid stonework, very
thick, and the only opening into the build
ing was iii the terraced roof, to which the
ascent was by ladder. On the approach
of the elephants, the two astonished specta-
tors clambered up into lofty banyan tree.
in order to escape mischief, and there watch
ed their proceedings. Had there been
door to the granary, all difficulty of OBJ
tanning an entrance would have instantly
vanished but four thick brick walls were
obstacles which seemed at once to defy
both the strength and sagacity of these
dumb robbers. Nothing daunted by the
magnitude of the difficulty which they had
to surmount, they successfully began their
operations at the angles Of the building.
A large male elephant, with tusks of inn
mense proportions, labored for some time
to make an impression; but after while
his strength was expended, and he retired.
The next in size and strength then advanced,
and exhausted his exertions, with no bet
ter success A third then came forward,
and applying those tremendous levers with
which his jaws were armed, and which he
welded with such prodigious might he at
length succeeded in dislodging brick.
An opening once made, other elephants
advanced, when an entrance was soon OBJ
tanned, sufficiently large to admit the de-
termined marauders As the whole herd
could not be accommodated at once, they
divided into small bodies of three or four
One of them entered, and when they had
taken their fill, they retired, and their places
were Immediately supplied by the next in
waiting until the whole herd, upwards of
twenty, had made full meal. By this
time shrill sound was heard from one of
the elephants, which was readily understood,
when those in the building immediately
rushed out and joined their companions.
One of the first division, after retiring from
the granary, had acted as sentinel while the
rest were enjoying the fruits of their saga
city and perseverance He had SO station
ed himself as to be enabled to observe the
advance of an enemy from any quarter,
and upon perceiving the troops as they re-
turned from the village he sounded the
signal of retreat, when the whole herd,
fourishing their trunks, moved rapidly into
the jungle. The soldiers on their return
found that the animals had devoured the |
greater part of the rice. A ball from a
ield-pice was discharged at them in their
retreat; but they only wagged tails as if
mockery, and soon disappeared in the re-
cesses of their native forests.