New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-01-03

like the antelOpeS, q waist IKE the non anu
a gait like the elephants" John Lockwood
kipling says that the back view of an elephant /
IS he shunles along, is like nothing much as
that of the stout and elderly Iongshore' fisher
man and sailor of our watering places, whose
Capacious neither garments alone among human
habiliments have the horizontally creased bag
einess peculiar TO elephants" The usual gait
of the elephant is walk-in fact, il is his only
gait 1t may be increased to fast shuttle OF
fifteen miles an hour for q short distance 1t is
said that a very good runner might keep out
of an elephants way on a smooth piece OF turf
but in the jungle, in which they are generally
met any attempt to escape by flight unless sup
plemented by concealment. would be unavailing.
A normal load for continuous travel Of fair
sized elephant Is eight hundred pounds 50 the
animal is equal to eight ponies, small mules or
asses; five stout pack mules or bullOcks and to
three and one-half camels. With this load
the elephant will keep up with an ordinary army
or baggage train. He is invaluable in a roadess
country and the jungle. and when the cattle OF
a baggage train or the horses of a battery are
stalled in bog or struggling helpessly at a
steep place, he is almost a special Providence
Then his trunk and tusks at once become
lever screwjack, doghooks and crane With
lis aid the confusion OF overturned carts and
gun carriages soon assumes its right position
down right side up His head, protected with
pad, is a of immense force.
Elephants cannot jump; they cannot even
cross a trench seven feet wide. although the
step of a large one is six and one-haIf feet
long. Full grown elephants credited with
being as swimmers, equal to, if not better than.
any other land animal. government herd OF
seventy-nine, several years ago. was obliged to
swim at one point six hours without touching
bottom: after a rest on a sand bank the ami
mails completed the swim in three hours more.
When wild and accompanied by their young
they either carry these across on their backs
or support them in front by their trunks.
There is a widespread misconceptiOn regard
ing the height of elephants Most persons
would declare that they had seen them more
than ten feet high; that, in fact, this was the
average height 1t is believed that elephant
be found in India which measures more
than ten feet in extreme height. The African
elephant Is perhaps one foot higher. Jumbo.
African elephant, twelve feet high. If
asked to guess how many times the circumfer-
ence Of the elephants foot should be multi
piled to obtain his height. some persons
doubtedly would say ten times II this were
correct there would be found elephants nearly
fifty feet high. the diameter Of the foot of
a large elephant Is eighteen inches Usually
the elephants altitude may be determined by
multiplying the circumference of his foot by
two Some of the stories of tall elephants
doubtedly have come from OF the Indian
methods of measurement Sanderson says that
elephants often measured by throwing
tape over the shoulders. or even back. the ends
being brought to the ground on each side and
half the length taken as the elephants height.
This accounts for the eleven tweIve-foot eIe-
plants. Even the same elephant varies with
its condition when measured in this way An
eight foot beast, in fair condition. gives a
height Of feet inches by this method"
The restless swaying motion of the elephant
IL well known. 1t is almost continuous a
story is told of the effect Of the swaying Of a
shipload of forty upon a vessel lying off shore in
Indian waters. The elephants had been got
aboard with considerable difficulty. After all
had been conducted to their places in the hold
the vessel put down the stream and anchored
In the course of few hours, the officers of
the ship observed that the vessel was rolling
from side to side in rhythmical way. The roll
became longer and longer and there was fear
that the vessel would turn turtle. Investiga-
ton showed that the elephants had found that
a soul-satisfying motion could be secured by
swaying in concert. and were enjoying them
selves to the full The mahouts were ordered
below to make them break step" This herd
was particularly mischievous. They were fed
hold along a passageway between them. One
OF the elephants would slyIy lay the coolie by
the heels as he crept along while the others