Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1892-06-03
THE KAROO BOKADAMS.
BY W. A, CURTIS.

A bronzed young missionary lately
returned from Siam told the folio wing
story:
was a member of the boat crew
while at college and when started
for Siam as missionary Immediately
after graduating. took with me the
single-rowing shell in which l had
done my individual training for the
crew.
The missionary station to which
was assigned was In tho large town
of Ashenam on the Menam River,
some miles above Bangkok, the cap
ital and chief city of the country.
The town was not at all important ex-
cept that there was a celebrated tenn
pie there in which were kept several
sacred whi'c elephants. 1t was a
stronghold of heathcndom, aud the
little chapel of the missionary station
looking across the river at the huge
pagoda of white elephants was quite
large enough for its humble congre-
CATION.
The river was nearly a half mile
wile -svsi fa,ss,-.s -.as--ssssa oknor,.,pitv
for exercise in my shell. Every after
noon at about four o'clock | took a
row, and | often lowered near the
bank upon which the white elephant
paeoda stood, watching the sacred
creatures as they took their daily ba'h
in the river. never dared venture
very near, for the priests of the p"go-
da bore no love toward tho mission
aries and could easily do inc son'
harm; they would justify themsclve
> to The town authorities by saying ina
they were preventing me from work
ing spells against the elephants.
= As it was sacrilegc fof human b'
ING TO mount the backs of the whit
elephants each one was driven to IL
j. river between two common elephant
A sort of collar went around the ell
" INFANTS neck. To the sides OF III
collar were fastened two chains, al
- the other ends of these chains we
ES fastened to similar collars about
nccks of the attendant elephant
Priests sat upon the backs of the Co
mc mon elephants, and by driving thu
IN forward or stopping them could ic
or hold back the white elephant 1
nj chains were very long, in order
give the white elephant plenty
freedom when taking his bath.
In general they walked bctw'
their attendants docile enough,
"' the drivers held the slack of The CHI
To coiled in their laps.
- Among the few European reside
ct of the town was young English II
chant who, having been member
the boat crew at Oxford, and owl
n shell, felt bound to show Engla
MI superiority over the United State;
. .no heating me in boat race on
ntiss Menam.
lie issued challenge and |
ccpted. The appointed day c
= The course was to be Two
stretch up river, starting two
below the missionary station.
The race was close one, bu
constant training tod, and lief
adversary behind several hui
wards before reaching the goal.
for the honor of America, l WIS
make tho defeat as severe as 20
and l relaxed nothing OF my
h and shot past the buoy far ALI
~ the Englishman. Tho momentu
boat had gathered carried it ale
the placid water and lay up'
oars scarcely able to move.
completely exhausted.
All at once tremendous bel
caused me to look up in alarm
awares, had tioated quite II
bathing place of the white ele
Ono old fellow was in the rive
lowing with rage, while on Il
- were his two attendant elpha'
~ ging and straining at the chain
vain attempt TO make him com
the water. The elephants OF
tain larger size than the elepI
any other country, and this W
phant was even larger tina
Siamese elephants. Observil
firmly the old fellow was pl
the river sand, and that the o
infants labored under the disa'