WILD ANIMALS IN CAPTIVITY 



want of attention had grown out of shape, but by scraping 

 and rasping, together with a supply of good and nourishing 

 food, his condition rapidly improved. He soon, however, 

 became very frolicsome and began to play up some very 

 lively tricks, so much so that we found it necessary to put 

 a stop to his gambols, and this we accomplished in a very 

 speedy and effectual manner. Scott and myself, holding 

 him by each ear, administered to him a good thrashing. 

 He quickly recognized that he was mastered by lying 

 down and uttering a cry of submission. We coaxed him 

 and fed him with a few tempting morsels, and after this 

 time he appeared to recognize that we were his best friends, 

 and he continued on the best of terms with both of us 

 until about the year before he was sold. He was at that 

 time about twenty-one years old and had attained the 

 enormous size of nearly 11 ft. in height. As I 'have 

 before ^ mentioned, all male elephants at this age and 

 in this condition become troublesome and dangerous. 

 "Jumbo " was no exception to this rule. He commenced to 

 destroy the doors and other parts of his house, driving his 

 tusks through the iron plates, splintering the timber in 

 all directions, rendering it necessary to have the house 

 propped up, as it still remains, with massive timber beams. 

 When in this condition and in his house, none of the 

 keepers except Scott dare go near him ; but, strange to say, 

 he was perfectly quiet as soon as he was allowed to be 

 free in the Gardens. I was perfectly well aware that this 

 restless and frantic condition could be subdued by reduc- 

 ing the quantity of his food, fastening his limbs by chains, 

 and an occasional flogging ; but this treatment would have 

 called forth a multitude of protests from kind-hearted and 

 sensitive people, and, in all probability, would have led to 

 those concerned appearing before the magistrates at the 

 police court charged with cruelty ; and the result might 



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