ORIGIN OF THE AMERICAN NEGRO. 148 



The carving of ivory is one of the oldest arts in the world. 

 Excellent bas-reliefs and images are found in ancient ruins, and 

 when they are af!ected by time and weather they are partially 

 restored by boiling in gelatine. The most expert carvers are the 

 Japanese and Chinese, who spend years on a single piece, making it 



exquisitely beautiful. 



Many attempts have been made to produce artificial ivory, but 

 thus far they have not been very successful, the elephant still retain- 

 ing a monopoly of the business. Ivory is growing more costly and 

 more rare from year to year, and it is only a question of time when 

 the sources of supply will fail. 



Until a few years ago London and Liverpool were the two 

 great ivory markets of the world, but they have been outstripped 

 of late by Antwerp. This is on account of the development of the 

 trade in the Congo Free State, which is a colony of Belgium. 



THE FUTURE OF THE IVORY TRADE. 



The stock offered in Antwerp for sale is remarkable not only 

 for the great number of tusks, but also for the enormous size of 

 some of them. Among those sold lately was a pair weighing nearly 

 350 pounds. A few days before the opening of the market the 

 tusks, all laid out and numbered in lots, are placed on public exhi- 

 bition in some great hall, as represented in the accompanying 

 illustration, and the buyers come here to select what they want and 



bid for them. 



The word's consumption of ivory is very large. The annual 

 average quantity used is about 1,500,000 pounds. Taking into con- 

 sideration the fact that in the wholesale markets such as Antwerp 

 and London ivory costs on an average $1.75 a pound, an idea may 

 be had of its importance in commerce. 



Unfortunately the future of this trade, which has caused 

 streams of blood, is seriously threatened. The constant war waged 

 upon the elephant on account of his ivory is bringing him nearer 

 and nearer to extinction. The Congo Free State has occupied itself 

 earnestly with this question, and has officially established a closed 

 season and limited conditions, during which elephant-hunting is 



H. E. G.— 10 



