IN AUSTRAL AFRICA. 317 



pleasure, for he submits to be turned and pulled 

 about and placed in every conceivable position with- 

 out the slightest objection. 



It is more than amusing to see this task 

 executed ; it is absolutely ridiculous, for he has as 

 spectators all the children of my retinue, several of 

 the dogs, Billy, my pet goat, and Boanerges, who 

 not unfrequently has in his arms the little monkey, 

 which evidently enjoys the novel sight as much as 

 any of the others. After the shampooers have 

 thoroughly done their work, the young elephant 

 considers himself entitled to a game of romps, 

 on which occasion, his excess of animal spirits, 

 causes him to be anything but a gentle playfellow, 

 as many of the young darkies can attest. When 

 this exuberance of spirits becomes too manifest, the 

 picaninnies fly for shelter under a waggon, from 

 which retreat he often drags out one or the other by 

 the arm or leg. On one occasion I had to come to 

 the rescue, as he had caught a little girl round the 

 neck with his trunk, and appeared to be in a fair 

 way to committing homicide. 



When enjoying my dolce far niente, Jumbo will 

 frequently steal quietly up to me, and the first 

 indication I have of his presence is finding his 

 trunk searching in the depths of my numerous 

 pockets for hidden delicacies. Nothing edible that 

 he thus obtains is despised, but, au contraire, appears 

 to be more appreciated than if it had been given him. 



