Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1893-08-07
A slaughter Of Elephants.

Among the arrivals on the Gaelic
from the Orient was quiet, blonde
man in middle life, whose achievements
in barbaric lands have been talked of
around the globe. Few knew him, yet
he has been received by kings, and for
some years his deeds lave been herald
ed everywhere by lightning. The dis
tinguished man was Lieut.. Otto b.
Ehlers, the famous German explorer,
who first climbed the lofty mountain
of Killmanjaro, and who saved all that
part of east Africa TO the German en-
pire He is just returning after some
years in the strange, wild countries be-
yond the Pacific, and what he has to
say is of extraordinary interest. He
went to India after his arrival in Ger
many from Africa primarily to get
number of tame elephants with which
to subiugate the wild ones OF the Dark
Continent, but this led him into many
other explorations.
1t was in 1885, it will be remembered,
that he went to Africa. 1t was the
explored Killmanjaro, 1880 feet high,
being the first white man TO set foot
upon its crest. He also accompanied
Major Wissman, the German commits
sioner in Africa, against the Arabs, and
was with him in several other expedi-
tons. In these exploits, Lieut.. Ehlers
had many narrow escapes, and to-day
his face is SCARED by conflicts on battle
fields and in juneles.
Lieutenant Ehlers spent some time in
the Garrows Hills in Assam with NJ.
Saw hunting elephants. In this he
took great interest, because it involves
great ivory hunting and carrying
project which he has in view in east
Africa His object is to form Eeddahs,
or great corrals made of trees and
roots, in the German territory in east
ern Africa, where the difficulties in con-
nection with transport animals are very
great. Mules, ponies and camels die
off quickly in the African jungles, but
there are thousands of wild elephants
waiting to be caught in the forests. On
the slope of Kilimanjaro many herds
are to be met with. Trained Indian
elephants, mahouts. and a few native
Indian elephant catches are to be in
troduced there, and large catchers will
be made every year. 1t will cost about
1000 rupees head to transport ele
plants from India to Zanzibar, but
the Germans can easily stand the
cost of what is needed. In few years,
therefore, the African elephant will be-
come something more than mere
ivory bearing animal, to be slaughtered
wholesale. This plan, it is conceded,
will benefit Englishmen and Germans
alike in east Africa.
The lieutenant said he would have
gladly seen the English and the Ger
man governments joining hands in such
a project, and nc dwelt upon the fact
that some 10000 elephants are killed
yearly in Africa for their ivory.
In Zanzibar alone," said he, some
100000 pounds Of ivory are brought
every season to the market. There are
tusks among them weighing from $50
to $50 pounds, and even more, but, of
course, the tusks are mostly SMALL for
it is much easier to trap or kill young
elephant than an old one. Let US say
that on an average every tusk is from
twenty to twenty-five pounds. The
tusks of 10000 elephants are brought
annually to Zanzibar.
elephants in Africa are mostly kill
ed with poisoned arrows. Perhaps fif-
ty per cent. break away to die in the
jungle, where their tusks are never
found. So, perhaps, 10000 elephants
have been sacrificed to get the ivory
for the Zanzibar market alone. Besides
this, a lot of ivory is used in the inte-
rior for all kinds of domestic purposes.
The tusks are used as grain Founders,
&c, while ornaments are commonly
fashioned of ivory. There are even
chiefs in the interior who have fence
around their houses made of elephants
tusks."