Year: 1875

The elephant in India will work all
day, carrying an amount of burden that
seems very extraordinary, and traverse
paths that are quite impossible for any
wheeled carriage, and will live on very
coarse fare. / believe the Asiatic ee-
phant is the most docile and useful of
any in the world. The African elephant
is less intelligent and less capable of
enduring, and In captivity manitests bad
temper, and is always more dangerous to
manage, and manifests little or no affec


ton for his keeper. l cannot give any
good reasons for this difference in these
useful animals; but II is conceded that it
is so. We have seen great numbers of
elephants let loose to bathe and wash in
the river, and they enjoy the sport. They
will walk into the water until it reaches
nearly up to their backs, and then, with


their trunks, they will wash their sides
and backs, and they move the water so
rapidly that il is put into foam. They
are not induced to go beyond their
depth, and like to keep their head out of
water, twill swim if forced. have no.


ticed that among the elephants there will
always be one who will drive all the rest.


He is king. Where he leads the others
follow II is the same in their wild state.
Some one will lead the herd. was sur
prised to witness the intelligence of some


of these useful animals. They are en-
ployed on the public works, and their
enormous strength enables them with appar-
ent ease to draw stones Of great magnitude,
and, what is more, to place them where
needed. They are used in the construc-
ton of bridges and will work in the water
all day. They will push stone as care
fully as a gang of men. 1t is interesting
to see these huge animals move about
until they get secure place to stand and
then exert their amazing strength in NOV
ing a stone just as the mason waves his
hand. In the large timber-yards of India
these useful animals are very extensively
used. 1t is only necessary to watch one
for little while TO be satisfied of the won
derful strength, as well as sagacity, of
these animals. They are employed in
drawing and fitting the huge logs used in
ship. building. They wilr draw large logs
over very rough roads from the forests.
They will take up log weighing two tons
on their tusks and hold it in its place with
their proboscis, and carry it apparently
with more ease than fifty coolies would.
When one of these sagaciOus animals has
brought you log from pile, you may
send him for the next log by merely point
| ing at il, and he will toll patiently all day
L
| ly as a gang of men could do. They are
/ always very careful not to injure their


usks, especially not to break them near
! their heads. One man, who had a large
| lumber and timber yard, said it took over
a year to teach his elephant the lumber
business; but, he added, he never forgot
| These trained elephants will sell in India
| from 500 to 3, 900 rupees, each, depending
! upon the sagacity of the animal.


| One Of these sagaciOus elephants can be
| easily trained to hunt the wild ones, which


is frequently done. A Rajah, not far
! from Lucknow, has a large herd, among
them several trained to hunt and subdue


wild ones. This Raiah is employed by


the Government to secure wild elephants,


and has from twenty-five dollars TO one
hundred and fifty dollars each, depending
| upon the age and sex Of the elephant
taken. We saw several that had been
| quite recently captured; but were not
present at the hunt. One of these ele-
! phant- tanners will go out and join with a
| herd of wild elephants, and sometimes
some of the wild will follow him into a
yard prepared for that purpose. The
males are often captured by the female
| elephant. 1t is not every female that Will
engage in this treacherous work OF de-


ceIving the male and leading him into
captivity, but there are some who
seem to delight in decOying a
victim. They sometimes display sur
prising skill and perseverance, as we'll
as courage in accomplishing their
work. The female elephant will follow
| the track of the male, and when near one
| will commence grazing with the same in


difference of other wild animals. When


the male approaches the female she com


mences caioliDg him, and when he be-
comes interested in his new companion


the crafty hunter cautiously creeps up and


iastens rope around the leg of the wild


one, and then to tree. As soon as the


deluded male is secured the female leaves
! him to his fate. AS soon as the wild one