The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1902-01-03
WHITE ELEPHANT.

ence of another white animal, the European
he is passing slowly but surely into limbo
The greater part of Indo-China is now nos
sessed by England and France, whose rulers
lay no claim to Sekya Waday descent. and
who can usually find sufficient exercise fol
their diplomacy and their armies without
recourse to geological freaks, while in Siam
long years of uninterrupted accumulation
produced collection which, necessarily un
rivaled in extent, reduced the once princely
white elephant to the level of a common
object of the streets of Bangkok Siam is
in fact, the last stronghold of the white ele
plant, and signs are not wanting that, ever
there, he will ere long cease to exist ex
cept as other elephants exist. The contrast
between the former splendor and the pres
ent forlorn condition of these royal beats
affords a striking example of the mutability
of things mundane.
Sangermano, Brugniere, Van Schouten
and others, have left accounts of the cap
ture of white elephants in different parts oil
Indo China, all of which lay stress on the
magnifcence of the ceremonies, and the
great delight of kings and people in vel
coming the august pachyderm to the CAPT
tai. The fortunate individual who dis
covered the whereabouts of the white ele.
plant was at once raised to the highest rank
of nobility, and very likely married to the
kings daughter, the latter honor being
however, not so great as it sounds as the
king probably had good many dozens OF
daughters to dispose of. The capture hav.
ing been effected, reliefs of mobiles were told
off to mount guard over the animal, which
was bound with silken ropes and detained
in the jungle where he was caught. A pal
ace was erected for it's reception close to
that of the king, and roads were made from
the place of capture to the principal high.
way. Installed in his palace, load
ed with honors, and with the highest sound
ing titles, surrounded by the golden umbrel.
las and other insignia OF his greatness, the
White elephant led Inc Of luxurious ease,
lulled to sleep by the choral chants OF priests
and solaced in his waking hours by the songs
and dances of the ladies of the royal "corps
de ballet from which latter his excellency
doubtless derived much ediication. Fed
on delicious fruits and the most succulent
vegetables, especially washed and prepared
for him, bathed every day by obsequious at.
tendants, all he lad to do was to live and
thrive, thereby increasing the glory of the
king, and securing the prosperity and sta
bility of the fortunate country which pos.
sessed him.
Forty-fve years ago his majesty King
Mongkut of Siam was the possessor of one
white elephant, which in spite of the high
education and good intellect of that SOW.
eregn, was his chief delight and pride. AS
the greatest compliment he could think OF
paying to the queen of England, he sent her,
by the hands of her envoy, few hairs culled
expressly for her from the tail of his be.
loved animal; and when, little later, the
arbiter of his destiny departed this life, he
sent as a present to his friend Sir John
Bowring, accompanied by touching letter
in English, a small piece of ats beautiful
white skin" How changed are the present
conditions of existence of the white ele-
plants in Bangkok! The recent addition OF
a young specimen to the collection afforded
an opportunity of noting the miserable par
ody which is all that survives of the ancient
ceremonies connected with the capture and
installation of the white elephant The ami.
NAL in question was captured in the forests
near Lopburi, place once famous as the
summer palace and hunting lodge of the
kings of Siam. No patent of nobility or al.
lance with royalty rewarded the finder of
the animal; small pecuniary recompense
was thought quite sufficient to meet the
case. When it was announced
that the animal was sufficiently tame, his
transfer to Bangkok was ordered. There.
upon he was marched down to Ayuthia,
where a specially constructed railway truck
was in readiness to receive him. But where
were the gilded pillars, the silk and satin
hangings of the pavilion which should re.
ceive the august creature? Where the rev.
erent multitudes to do homage to the mas.
cot of their king and country? Alas! these
things have departed, and are no more seen,
a little red calico and group of stolid rail-
way porters and Chinese coolies alone rep.
resenting the gorgeous decorations and ador-
ing populace of the past.
In Bangkok, however, some preparation
had been made for the reception. The fac
of the impending arrival was notified to the
people, and had even been published in the
papers some days before. Consequently, a
considerable crowd assembled at the ter.
minus to witness the Decentralization. The
--~eets were decorated here and there wita
bunting, and procession, headed by the
four white elephants resident at the cap.
ital, escorted the newcomer to the palace. A
crowd of bowmen and spearmen accom-.
panied the elephants through the streets.
These men were dressed in what was APP
parently intended to represent the mill.
tary costumes of the brave old days, but if
the warriors of yore at all resembled these
miserable bundles of rags and pasteboard,
it is evident that all the accounts of Ralph
Fitch and other historians of the splendid
courts and armies of old Indo-China must
have contained good deal more of roman &c
than of truth. The trappings of the white
elephants themselves were also most pitiful
to view. Tawdry, threadbare red cloth now
takes the place of jewel-studded velvet and
silk, diamond and ruby rings no longer or
nament the precious tusks, nor are gold
bangles to be seen upon the august limbs.
If, as honest Father Brugniere states, the
white elephants appreciate the honors paid
them, regarding such as no more than their
due, and are unhappy if treated without
proper respect, how sad must be the lot of
the present incumbents, shorn of nearly all
the attributes which they feel should be
theirs, and condemned to condition of ex
istence hardly superior to that of the com.
mon black herd!-Asiatic Quarterly Re.
view.
Decidedly the Reverse.
Il Ill. j n