48 



WEIGHT OF elephants' TUSKS. 



the case. The loftiest elephants probably in the 

 world were to be found, a few years back, on the 

 banks of the Linnpopo. Livingstone speaks of one he 

 saw there, and measured, after its death, which ex- 

 ceeded 12 ft. in height, and I am certain that I have 

 seen several that were not far from that enormous 

 stature. Now an Indian elephant that measures 

 10 ft. 2 in. is a very big specimen of its species. 

 Jung Bahadoor is said to have had one that 

 stood 10 ft. 6 in. Roughly speaking, therefore, the 

 reader can calculate that there is a difference of five 

 or six hands in the height of the respective breeds, 

 as much difference, say, as between a twelve-hand 

 pony and an eighteen-hand horse. The observer 

 who has seen representatives of the two breeds side 

 by side will be struck with amazement. 



But returning to the ivory question, the mammoths 

 of the Limpopo did not carry big tusks, seventy or 

 eighty pound ones amongst them being deemed un- 

 usually heavy. No ; to obtain the heaviest ivory the 

 hunter had to cross the Zambesi, or trade with those 

 chiefs whose hunting veldt was on the north side of 

 that river, and the bulls that produced the weightiest 

 tusks there do not exceed in height the Indian repre- 

 sentative of the genus by more than a hand and a 

 half, or possibly two hands. 



Of course the reader knows that, with very rare 

 exceptions, cow elephants in Africa carry ivory, but 

 it is small, averaging less than sixteen pounds in the 

 mature animal. Nevertheless, they are most for- 

 midable weapons, as many a hunter and horse have 

 found out to their cost. Those cows that are tusk- 

 Itss are invariably barren, and are justly more feared 

 by the sportsman than the other members of her 

 race. 



It would be interesting to know the correct height 

 of Jumbo, his age, and from what part of Africa he 

 was brought, and whether he ever exhibited any 



