The Arizona sentinel., 1886-07-24
ABOUT ELEPHANTS.

The Two kinds-Their Usefulness When
 Tanned, and Their Modes of Defense
 Their Sagacity.
 There are two kinds of elephants, the
 African and Asian. The former is sell
 dom domesticated, but is hunted down
 and killed for the sake of his tusks,
 which are larger and heavier than
 these of his Asiatic relation. All over
 Southern Asia, with the sole exception
 ot Arabia, the elephant is found; but
 the home the animal delights in is the
 hot, moist, swampy forests of India
 and Burmah. They are great travel
 CTS, and have been encountered on
 mountain-tops even as high as seven
 thousand feet above the sea; the herds
 contain from twenty to fifty, but in
 favorably situated countries one hun
 dred have been found living together.
 Each herd is led by the strongest and
 largest bull, who leads it through the
 iungles.
 It takes about four months to tame full-grown wild elephant; but he, or
 she, is not trusted alone for year for fear it might run away; but the calves give no trouble and soon become great pets, coming up to the house for fruit,
 biscuits and sugar-cane. But it does not do to let the little creatures see
 where you keep those goodies, for 1 had pet baby elephant who found out that the fruit was kept in a large earthen jar four feet in height, on top of which the filter and tumblers were placed, and one day, when he thought no one was looking, the cunning little thief stole into the room, and tilting every thing off the jar over onto the ground, seized a large bunch of bananas in his tiny trunk and ran away to his mother, who was too dangerous to go near she having heep only few months caught The inn pudent little creature, while eating his ill-gotten prize, kept peeping out be- tween the old lady's forelegs with his head on one side, apparently to see what 1 thought of his prowess.
 As he grew up he was put to drag a small cart, and unless carefully watched would gradually edge the cart to the side of the road and topple the contents into the ditch. One very bad trick he had when loose was to hide in the jungle when he heard any one riding toward the house, and as they came close he would bring his trunk down on the earth with such a bang that several visitors were thrown from their ponies, and every one had to keep sharp lookout. With all his fun there was nothing vicious about him, and children could get on his back and play with him. To me he was most etfectionate, and 1 have often awoke from my afternoon nap to find him standing alongside my grass ham mock lightly feeling me all over with his trunk.
 Elephants are extremely useful, and | when kindly treated are docile and tractable; but they have good mem- ories and recollect injuries quite as well as kindness, seldom failing to re- taliate upon those who behave cruelty l to them, though the chance of revenge i may not occur for months and years.
 You, no doubt, have read the story | of the Arabian tailor who pricked an elephant with his needle as he put his | trunk in at the shop window as he passed on his way to the daily bath in | the river, and who, nlling his trunk | with dirty water. spouted it over his | tormentor as he returned. This is a | very common way these animals have | of paying off old scores, and should | there be no water at hand they will fill | the trunk with ashes or dust, suddenly l f over those who have offend ! cd them.
 The trunk is never uscd for striking ] and, in fact. when any danger is l IS coiled close up for pro- lection; but when angry the elephant will catch Up a clod of earth, stone or log of wood. and throw itwith great !. force, or they will break of the branch 1. of tree and make use of it as club, or as fan, to brush flies away At the tip of the trunk there is a projec- ton like finger, and, large as the great beast looks, he can pick up thimble with just as much ease as a log of wood or any similar large object.
 The tusks are the main weapons of defense, and among the tame males it is usual to saw off the points, so that in case of fight the eombatauts can not gore one another. At Rangoon, in Burmah, an old elephant named Rajah is kept whose tusks have not been cut, as he acts as a kind of a schoolmaster to the other animals, of whom a large number are employed there.
 It is sometimes necessary there to put elephants on to rafts, and many of hem object to this, not liking the shaking and unsteadiness. When one refuses Rajah is called, and comes rushing up behind, trumpeting loudly. The refractory beast looks round, and one glance at the gleaming tusks is suf- icient, and he steps on the raft quick Rajah seldom has to make actual use of his weapons. For defend- ng itself, in addition to the tusks, the elephant kicks, and tremendous ones hey can give, females particularly, and wild buffaloes, who sometimes attack hem, are emboldened to do so by the Inimal turning round as if to run way. But this is only device to get he assailant within reach of the pon- lerous hind leg, kick from which will end him roll ng over and over with a 'roken back