Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-06-23

WantOn Slaughter of Elephants to Supply
the Demand for Ivory.

the Demand Tor Ivory.
From the San Francisco Chronicle.
Among the arrivals on the Gaelic from the
orient yesterday was q quiet, blond 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 have been
heralded everywhere by lightning The dis
tinguished man was Lieut.. Otto E. Ehlers, the
famous German explorer, who first climbed the
lofty mountain Of kilimsnjaro, 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 beyond the
Pacific. and what he has to say is of extraor-
binary interest. He went to India after his
arrival in Germany from Africa primarily to
get u number of tame elephants with which to
subjucate 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 out to Africa. 1t was tho time that fierce
wars were raging. He explored kilimanj aro,
1880 feet high, being the first white man to
set foot upon its crest. He also accompanied
Maj Wlssman, the German comIui ssioncr in
Africa. against the Arabs, and was with him on
several other expeditions. In these exploits
Lieut. Ehlers had manv narrow escapes. and
today his face is SCARED by conflicts on battle
fields and in iungies.
Lieut.. Ehlers spent some time in the Garrow
hills i'll Assam with NJ. Saw hunting elephants.
In this he took great interest, because it in
wolves a great ivory hunting and carrying
project which he has in view in East Africa.
His object is to form keddahs, or great corrals
made OF trees and roots. in the German ter
ritory in eastern Africa, where the difficulties
in connection 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 Kill
manjaro many herds are to be met with
Trained Indian elephants. mahouts and few
native Indian elephant catchers are to be intro
duced there. and large catches will be made
every year. 1t will cost about 1000 rurees a
head to transport elephants from India to
Zanzibar, but the Germans can easily stand
the cost OF what is needed. In n few wears,
therefore. the African elephant will become
something more than a mere ivory bearing
animal. to be slaughtered Wholesale. This
plan. it is conceded. will benefit Englishmen
and Germans alike in cas-. Africa.
The lieutenant said he would have gladly
seen the English and German governments
joining hands in such a project. and he dwelt
upon the fact that some GO. 600 elephants are
killed yearly in Africa for their ivory.
''In Zanzibar alone" said he. "some SOC, 900
pounds OF ivory are brought every season to
the market There are tusks among them
more. but. of course, the tusks are mostly
small, for it is much easier to trap or kill a
Young elephant than old one. Let us say
that on an average every .usk is from twenty
to twonty-f pounds. The tusks of 70. 900
elephants brought annually to Zanzibar.
elephants i'll Africa are mostly killed with
poisoned arrows Perhaps so per cent break
away to die in the jungle, where their lusks
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 interior for all kinds of do
nestle purposes. The tusks arc used as grain
FOUNDERS. &C.. while ornaments are commonly
fashioned Of ivory. There are even chiefs in
the interior who have a fence around their
houses made OF elephant tusks."