ABOUT ELEPHANTS. 493 



forcibly battering its sides. About 1 p. m. he became more ungovernable than 

 ever, and commenced battering the bars of his den with his trunk. These bars 

 are upward of three feet in girth, and are composed of oak, strongly bound on 

 all sides with iron, and are placed about a foot asunder. For some time they 

 resisted the ponderous blows which he almost incessantly directed against them, 

 but by 2 p. m. one of them was found to be started from the massive cross-beam 

 into which it was mortised : and, as at that time the animal still continued as 

 violent as ever, serious fear began to be entertained lest he should break out, in 

 which event the amount of damage or loss of life which he might occasion 

 would have been incalculable. In these circumstances, although the value of the 

 animal was at least one thousand pounds, Mr. Cross at once determined on hav- 

 ing him destroyed, and after some consideration it was resolved to give him 

 some corrosive sublimate in a mess of hay. However, the animal no sooner 

 smelled the mixture than he rejected it, and it was then determined to shoot 

 him. Accordingly, a messenger was sent to Somerset House, where two soldiers 

 were on guard, who, on a suitable representation being made, were allowed to 

 go over to the menagerie, taking with them their muskets. Several rifle-guns 

 were also obtained from different places in the neighborhood and put into the 

 hands of such of the persons about the establishment as had courage enough to 

 remain in the room. In this manner, in all about fourteen persons were armed, 

 but before commencing operations it was deemed prudent to secure the front of 

 the den, by passing cords around those bars against which the animal's violence 

 had been principally directed. This having been done and the muskets loaded, 

 about a third of the party advanced to the front of the den till within about 

 five yards of the animal and discharged their pieces at the tender part of the 

 neck below the ear, and then immediately retreated to a recess at the lower end 

 of the room for the purpose of reloading. The animal, on finding himself 

 wounded, uttered a loud and piercing groan, and advancing to the front of the 

 den struck his trunk several times with all his fury against the bars, another of 

 which he succeeded in forcing out of its place. Having thus exhausted his fury, 

 he became quiet, upon which another detachment of the party approached his 

 den, and, after firing upon him, retired into the recess as before ; the animal on 

 receiving the fire plunged again most violently against the front of the den, the 

 door of which he actually lifted from off its uppermost hinges, but was prevented 

 from getting out by the strong manner in which the ropes bound the different 

 bars together, On his becoming more tranquil, preparations were made for 

 firing a third volley ; but no sooner were the muskets about to be leveled than 

 the animal, as if conscious of their being the cause of his wounds and also of 

 the vulnerable parts against which they were intended to be directed, turned 

 sharp round and retreated into the back of the den and hid his head between 

 his shoulders. It hence became necessary to rouse him by pricking him with 

 spears, which -being effected, the muskets were discharged at him, and, although 

 several balls evidently took effect in the neck on this as well as on the former 

 occasion, still he did not exhibit any signs of weakness, beyond abstaining from 

 those violent efforts which he had previously made against the front of his den ; 

 indeed, from this time he kept almost entirely at the back of his den, and, al- 

 though blood flowed profusely from the wounds he had received, he gave no 

 other symptoms of passion or pain than an occasional groan. For about an hour 

 and a half in this manner a continuous discharge of musketry was kept up 

 against him, and no less than one hundred and fifty-two bullets were expended 

 before he fell to the ground, where he lay nearly motionless, and was soon de- 



