The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-14
STORIES OF ELEPHANTS.
Some of the Remarkable Things Done
by Them.

Some of the Remark aDIe Ih1ngS Done
by Them.
Mrs Marie A Mills, in st. Nicholas.
Of their marvellous mathematic pre-
exist in the mind of any one who has ever
visited Mandalay, in Upper Burmah. There
large forests of teak are cultivated by the
government for building purposes, ana the
squared timbers are placed and secured one
above another till a raft is formed to float
down the Irrawaddy for conveyance TO
of this work. They convey the enormous
logs down to the waters edge and pile
them one above another, both lengthwise
and across, till a perfect cube is formed.
They show an intelligence and interest in
their work that seems human, as any eye
witness can affirm who has watched an ele-
plant at his loading, and then has seen
him move few PAGES to one SIDE, In OrOeT
to judge of the effects of his work. Ii
the appearance of the heap is not quite
symmetrical two elephants force the logs
one way or the other with their trunks
till they get the desired result, and the per-
feet evenness and symmetry OF the nnlshed
cube is astonishing. They never miscalcu-
late the number required for each cube,
and never overweight it: In 1870 a near
military police, and his winter circuit COM
prised the Looshai country and hill tracts.
Herds of wild elephants abounded in the
district. which contained TWO important
kheddahs.
The greater part of our tour was made
by water, and once we were detained sew
6ral days In the DeQ OF a river, through Tie
insufficiency of water for the draft of our
boats. Some of them lay high and dry, but
the office boat, which consisted of a single
cabin with large doors fore and ait, was In
the stream. My friend sat in his cabin, alb
sorbed in official correspondence, while we
explored the shores. Suddenly looking up,
he was dismayed to find herd of about
forty wild elephants, headed by vicious
looking leader, gazing steadily at the boat
and it's solitary occupant Stout soldier that
he was, he watched the leader with con-
siderable trepidation, for on his action de-
pended that to be adopted by the herd. To
his immense relief, after a trumpet or two,
the leader turned disdainfully and crossed
the stream. He breathed a sigh of relief,
and had forgotten his lucky escape in the
absorption of work-when, swish, through
the cabin came dash after dash of water.
On the opposite side stood the leader and
his herd, with well-filled trunks. One after
the other administered the shower bath and
then retreated, leaving my friend thorough
ly ducked and very rueful over the damp
condition of his government papers and
surroundings, but thankful for his escape
from worse fate than wetting. The
prime minister of Nepal and the court were
at that time in holy Hardwar in order to
battle in the sacred Gauges and perform
their pilgrimage to the "Hur XII Pyree" or
steps to heaven and for their benefit the
elephants were made to go in procession
through the sacred town.
Can any child picture procession of $50
tame elephants in single file, headed by
Bill and with Narain bringing up the rear?
1t was truly a grand sight. They covered
a mile and a quarter of road, and were
as orderly as soldiers in a marching regi-
ment. Through the town they marched,
each beast in its place, in no way discon-
certed by the populace or by the screaming
children, who joined in singing their nursery
rhymes at each turn of the road. They
think that Guneshn. the god of wisdom,
has his existence in an elephants body, and
so they venerate the colossal beast inn
mensely. Their little voices. pitched at the
highest, send out the couplet:
Elephant. oh elephant, give US a hair of
your tail!
Or instead thereof, sword of gold!
1t was a quaint, queer sight The old
town with its mosques and minarets; the
sacred stairs of Vishnu, leading down to
the blue waters edge; the priests on the
steps in gay sulphur-colored garments, feed
ing the sacred fish, while the sacred
monkeys were swarming everywhere,
swinging from branch to branch of the
trees feeding Oil the housetops and scream
ing and playing Below marched undis-
turbed the imposing procession of elephants.
all bent on obedience, and vending their
way, regardless of all distractions.