The National tribune., 1888-08-23
ELEPHANTS



which had borne cur howdah. He was very
large, though not so tall as Jumbo, and had
been captured when he was a wild little calf,
and given to the Maharaiah's great-grand-
father then boy, and the elephant had been
for nearly 100 years the pride and pet OF the
stable and meu9gerie; no wonder that he was
as much at home with the Naharaiah and his
keepers, as our most docile domestic animals
are with US. In being groomed he was first
lathered with soap, and then seEaped and
brushed by strong-armed men and sprayed Of
with fire hose, enjoying his bath with al his
might, for az the end no was allowed a plunge
in deep river OF pond, where he swan about
for hours under water, with only the tip end
OF his trunk coming up to the surface for air,
and this bit Of trunk, skimminp along. looked
not bigger than small frog on his travels,
though there must have been pretty big swirl
underneath the wave.
He came and went at viii without e keeper,
and after being shown to Us and taking some
tea cakes very gently from our hands lie trot-
ted off alone when he was hidden across the
fields and under the palm trees to his stable
three miles distant
An elephant fight now promised much ex-
ctement, if the natives were to be believed.
The great creatures stripped of all the trap
pings and made ready 70 fight by having their
tusks cut oil short, were brought, two by two,
into wide open field. When let 90 they ran
at each other, head foremost, with their trunks
in the air. The fight was very stupid, being
simply huge game of push heads, which is
the toughest" where the stronger won and
then drove the weaker OF the field. They
seemed good natured, and also to enjoy the
game.
Some 10 or 20 other elephants looked on, ap-
parently interested and amused, until one very
strong, active elephant among the fighters ran
after his vanquished antagonist with the eyi-
dent intention of striking at his trunk, when
all the other elephants became excited, and
constituted themselves a company Of umpire:
and set up such indignant meaning that th5
keeper interfcred.
We saw one beautiful elephant who was born
In the Princes province and had never seen
jungle, but had grown up in the pasture and
stable, like any other COW. When she Came tC
see Us her own little calf paced BY her side
| The calf was the little counterpart Of the cow
and was a very pretty creature, whom one
would like for pet She wore draperies anG
| fIilis and gold lace like her mother, with ear
rings which nearly reached TO the ground and
| gold bangles. She walked jauutiiy along, toe
/ ing out" stideniug her knees and holding hel
/ cain down IN the most approved manner. HheI
| we offered her bit OF sponge cake she s.dlCC
nearer, like pet lamb, lifted the little dnEe
/ at the end Of her trunk, and examined th
| cake dajntily before taking it; aud apparently
/ turned toward her mother with q questiOniH.
| look. The mother elephant seemed puzzled
/ Size walked toward Us with an expression o
t hesitating anxious curiosity in her small
( knowing eyes, as one may sec any COW DO. Slit
/ held cut her trunk for the cake, and the littli
/ one dutifuuy gave 1t to her. wheTeuP0u TIN
/ mother turned it over carefully, then held j
/ up and looked at US as if for an explanation
| We motioHed toward the little one to whom
IuT4a mil rft6 n,
/ conteDtedly while the calf enjoyed the tidbit.
| This indulgence on our part seemed to gan
/ the mother elephants confidence, for she begal
/ showing OF her offspring with unmistak5l
pride She pushed the little one toward Us
/ aud turned it round and round with her grca
trunk. When the calf demurred she cOaXel
/ and caressed her. The COW was evidently vail
/ of the calis fneTy, and encouraged that spOiie,
| elephanting to haunt her furbelows aud tinkl
/ her earrings. Sue drew our attention to th
| big, little fat legs Of the beauty, and fnall
| wound her trunk ahectiOnately round the small
| neck. lifted the little head, and showed Us tn
| beginning of her baby's first tusk.
We thought this geutleness and iutelligene
/ were due to training. as neither Of these Great
/ ures had ever known the wild life of the jungle
| but We had q chance later 70 learn that this va
not altogether the case.
4 wild elephant COW and calf lately captures
! were driven up to show US the difference. The
/ were both darker and very rough, lean an
| huugry-IO0king IN comparison with the dome=
| ticated ones. 4 strong chain tied the viii
| mOther-elephaut'5 foTe-legs together, and sh
| was also fastened with a strong iariat TO a tam
elephant The wild baby-elephaut kept clos
! to its mother and stumbled along like q shy
! awkward hobbledehoy. When the keeper
! tried to turn the wild calf toward Us, and ava
from its mother the little one threw back il
/ head, stuck up Its chin, and cried out loud ant
piteOusly. The poor mother struggled towar
her terrified calf and managed TO get her Ow
poHderous body between the calf and Ia
strange looking people. The little one refuse
to be comfortCd. and the mothers way of pro
tecting and soothing it were 50 tender ali
knowing as to seem almost human. She stroke
| il with her big trunk and showed il loving!
behind her, and finally persuaded the little on
to take some uOurishmcut when il threw bac
its small trunk dezterously, and drew the mill
smacking like any satisfied, hungry calf.
They became quietcT when they saw that L
harm was intended them, and then the Ittl
one was more amusing than ever running VI
der the mother and hiding behind her gres
legs, occasionally darting shy, frightened pee
from behind the shelter II we looked, or wei
toward her, she dGdged back and hid her fac
and If we took no notice she came nearer, au
even stepped one foot forward in q testint
gingerv fashion. Meantime the bold tow
bred elephant youngster looked on with gre.
interest, W3gg!iHg her tail, jjngliug her cal
rings and tossing her trunk in high giee, ~
parcntiy much amused at her cOUntria5d 81
ter's awkWagdness aud discontinue.
Coed Impulse.