SHIPPING WILD ANIMALS 93 



delay in disposing of the animals meant a great 

 sacrifice of either money or health. 



The first five elephants, together with attendants 

 and food were waiting back of the sheds at Tan- 

 jong-Pagar, the docks at Singapore, to be put 

 aboard. At the last moment the chief officer came 

 with the message that the captain refused to take 

 them. 



I went to the captain's cabin and found a stout, 

 red-faced and apparently good-natured English- 

 man. He was just out of his bath, wearing pajamas 

 and idling about in his cabin until the ship was 

 ready to get under way. I thought it a good time 

 to approach him, and I took care to be quite calm 

 and cool about it, although I was raging inside. 



I showed him my receipt and the bill of lading 

 given me by the agent. He replied that the agent 

 was not captain of the ship; he didn't care what 

 agreement the agent had made. So long as he was 

 captain, he'd run his ship to suit himself, and all 

 agents could go to the devil, for all he cared. And, 

 moreover, he'd not carry elephants not for any one. 

 I explained my position and told him that it would 

 mean a great financial loss to me if I failed on my 

 contract to deliver the elephants. 



"Look here, Mayer," he said, "I've handled ele- 

 phants at Calcutta and I've always had a lot of 

 trouble with them. If I load these elephants, it 

 means that I have to rig up extra gear, and I won't 

 do it." 



