ElcpJtantiana. \ 77 



Gardens, growing rapidly, and in course of time 

 helping the keeper to amuse the younger visitors 

 by carrying them on his back. Even their ciders did 

 not disdain a ride on so vast an animal, as I can 

 vouch from personal experience. Still, except for 

 iiis size. Jumbo created no particular interest, and 

 the public cared no more for him than for the other 

 elephants. 



Then a report was bruited abroad that an Ameri- 

 can agent was negotiating for the purchase of Jumbo, 

 and the public naturally thought that the Zoological 

 Society would do itself harm by parting with the 

 largest elephant that had ever been known in Europe. 



Still, beyond a few remonstrances, no great ob- 

 jections were made to Jumbo's removal. Indeed, 

 the generality of the visitors to the Zoological 

 Gardens did not even know the animal's name, nor, 

 indeed, could most of them distinguish one elephant 

 from another. Even on the eve of his departure 

 from England I heard several persons assert that the 

 female Asiatic elephant (" Suffa-Kulli") was Jumbo, 

 while, on the other hand, there were quite as many 

 who pointed out Jumbo as one of the Indian ele- 

 phants. 



One morning, however, there appeared in one of 

 the daily newspapers a vivid and dramatic account of 

 an attempt to take Jumbo out of the Gardens, so as 

 to accustom him to the road. 



We were told how he suspected a trap, and be- 

 wailed his hard lot; how he knelt to his keeper, 

 caressed him, and in all but human words besought 

 for restoration to the home of his childhood. We 

 learned how the other elephants from within their 

 houses responded to his piteous appeal, and how 

 they all rejoiced together when he returned among 

 them. 



M 



