The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1894-10-19
THE WILDERNESS OF CEYLON.
A Deaf Elephant Supposed to Be Sacred
TO BudGha-

to Buddha-
We were in the absolute wilderness
Of upland Ceylon, where the virgin
beauty and freshness of nature un-
spoiled by man instills new sensation
into every soul which vibrates to
her mysterious voice, says Cornhill
Magazine. The rolling green patenas
are cut off sheer and straight from the
encircling belts of jungle as though
measured off by human hands, strik-
ing feature of these elevated regions
which has never been satisfactorily
explained. The mountain ranges which
inclose the grassy plains are clothed
from base to summit with primeval for
est, heavily draped with moss which
forms a green fringe, hanging from
every bough.
An appalling loneliness broods over
the Acene, no song of bird stirs the
sileree, and the deathlil;e hush which
reigns over the gloomy forest is un-
broken even by the rustic of leaf, for
noon is the midnight of the tropics and
the black depths Of the haunted jun
gle are wrapped in spellbound sleep. At
nightfall the 1.-THE cheetah glides
stealthily through the shadows and
crouches for his prey among the crowd
ing trees The branching antlers OF
the elk rise above the tangled under
growth and the moose deer browses in
the shade of the messy boughs along
which the wildcat creeps, while the
savage boar roots among the fallen
leaves.
When the rising moon illuminates
the lonely Landscape, herds of wild
elephants emerge from the dark Jungle
and roam over the vast expanse OF
desolate country which still renders
the interior of Ceylon almost an un-
known land. The elephant grass,
which breaks the uniformity of the un.
dulating plain with rustling sheaves
of long greet spears, is the forage for
which the stragglers of the herd scour
the patenas, and many Cingalese su-
perstitions linger round this elevated
tableland.
The recent spoor of an elephant
marks our track and ceases at n deep
pool known to be favorite drinking
place of the wild animals which haunt
the jungle. A deaf elephant frequent
ly perambulates the Elk plains. lie is
supposed to be sacred to Buddha, and,
therefore, invulncrable, no sportsman
having hitherto succeeded In piercing
his hide-a fact probably due TO the
great ago of the animal.
In tho wild and woo1y west.
1t happened In saloon in western
town. The usual crowd had congre-
gated one evening, when the proprt-
etor's most profitable customer, who
boasted of having been drunk In every
state In the union, offered TO wager
that he could, blinded, tell the name OF
any drink by tasting it The offer
was taken, and o handkerchief being
tied over his eyes the trial began.
A half dozen different kinds cd
booze-producing liquids were hand
cd him.. and in each case ho
promptly and correctly gave the name.
Finally @ quantity of water was
poured into glass and handed to him,
but as he tasted this puzzled look
came over his face He thought mo-
ment then tasted again; another mo-
ment elapsed, then he remarked, "Boys,
l guess I'm stuck remember OF
drinking some Of that stuff bout ten
years ago down in New jersey, but I'll
be hanged II can remember what they
called it. I'll give it up; I'm beat I
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