AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF AN ELEPHANT.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2401, 16 January 1909, Page 9 (Supplement)

AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF AN ELEPHANT.

Many years ago. 1 was born in the great jungles of India. Here, the herd of which I was one bad its abode.

Biu now, let me pass on to 1113- later years. Some years had passed by, when one day as I was iviug down under the shado of a large tree I s'heard a great noise. On looking round I saw some of the herd dash off through the forest, so thinking that something must be wrong I fsfc-. lowed. Still this strange noise followed us aud we kept dashing on. At last I was tired so 1 stopped and rested, but still the herd dashed on. Soon, however, they came back and told me that we had been driven info a trap. Now I will explain as well as possible what this great trap was. On three sides there is a great strong —V fence narrowing to a point at the s tar end. When the elephants are driven into this trap the end is blocked and the elephants are kept prisoners. After being left hero for a week or two, by which time 1 was becoming tame, I was taken to the great timber yard to work with other elephants. Hero I got a good master ' who was never very hard to me and also took great care of me. But one morning I was not taken to the timber yard, but was saddled with a huge basket called *a kowdab. Thou some strange white men and the chief man of the village took their seats in the liowdah and we started off on a tiger hunt. When I had gone some distance I could hear the beaters rounding up the tiger. Suddenly, out of the grass came a growl and tho next instant the tiger leapt iut-o the air with a yell. Then one of the white men fired a rifle aud shot the tiger, which was loaded on to my back and we started off home. In, later years I had many more tigei r '*“V hunts.