Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1891-03-26
Saint Marll's Beacon.
WILD BEASTS AND THEIR NAYS.

There is no man living 50 well quail
fled TO write about wild animals from
personal observation as IL Sir Samuel
Baker. For nearly half q century he
has been an explorer in Afric. and
Asia az well as in the least known
parts Of America and Europe. and he
has never missed an opportunity Of
"big game" In the book which he
has recently published In London I'M
der the title Of Wild Beasts and their
Ways, he confines himself 20 recount
ing what be has actually seen. bat the
range Of bis experience includes such
interesting members Of the animal
kingdom as the eleph at. the lion. the
tiger, the leopard. ihs rhinoceros. the
hippopotamus and the crocodile.
In Sir Samuel Bakers opinion the
elephant 10 overrated BY most natur
alists. both as regards intelligence and
character. He can be educated TO
perform certain acts, when specially
ordered, but unlike the dog. he never
volunteers his services. The author
Of this book never saw an elephant
who would spontaneously interfere to
save his master from drowning or
from attack. he admits. neverthe-
less that an elephants power of learn
ing 10 extraordinary, aud that bis
memory 10 remarkable. After seven
months absence in England. IN els-
plant. that Sir Samuel had the use Of
on q previous Wait TO India recogniz.
cd him at once on his return. It 10
not through affection, however. but
through fear that an elephant serves
man. He is by nature an excessively
timid animal and acntely sensitive to
pain. Experience has shown it to be
impossible to direct the movements Of
an elephant by simple kindness. He
must know you to possess the power
Of inflictiDg punishment. In one par.
ticular the elephant is superior to
most other animals. namely. in its
freedom from any unpleasant odor.
Its skin 10 sweet and the hand retains
no smell after caressing the trunk or
any other portion of the body. Sir
Samuel has frequently encamped
where fifty or sixty elephants would
be kept for several days within hun
dred yards Of his tent. Still there
was no offensive scent.
With regard to the lion. also. Sir
Samuel Bakers conclusions differ de-
cidedly from .he notions handed down
in books and based for the most part
on untrustworthy evidence. II is
true that he credits the lion with the
traditional dignity of appearance.
and he holds that this is not altogsth.
or delusive, but corresponds 10 GER
tain nobility Of character. the lion be-
ing much more reckless than the ii.
ger in exposing himself to attack.
He has no doubt that lion would
weigh more than tiger Of the same
length. In his opinion. however. the
former animal is much less ferocious
and formidable than tho latter. The
natives Of Central Africa have, it
seems, no fear Of the lion when he il
undisturbed by hunters. though, of
course. when wounded and standing
at bay he is redoubtabls enough. On
several occaaions Sir Samue. himself
has seen lions close to him. when be
had no opportunity of shooting. and
they have invariably passed on with
out the slightest signs of hostile feel.
ing. He evidently does not believe
the stories eco frequent in books of
traveD about night attacks by lions
on the oxen belonging TO wagons. 10
nine years experience of camp. life in
Africa, both equatorial and as far as
fourteen degrees north Of the equator,
Si- Samuel has never even heard of
any actual depreciation committed by
lions upon q camp or upon a nights
bivouac. He pronouaces equally
apccryphsl the tales OF lions jumping
fences with full grown bullocks in
their grip. They may burst through
under such circumstances. but not
jump them. II is. Sir Samuel assures
us. an impossibility for lion to car.
~ full-grown OF. All il can do is
to partially lift the forequarters vf
the victim and drag the carcass along
the ground. We find two other in
teresting details in the observation of
this veteran sportsman. The lion and
the tiger, We are told. attack in diff
ferent way. Thetiger when springiDg
on its enemy. does not strike crush.
ing blow. but merely seisss with its
claws. The lion, on che other hand,
strikes with such terrific force that
many q man has been killed outright
as if hit by a trip-hammer. As to
the thorn alleoad N ax;s. IN al.