ELEPHANTS. 307 



tlieir uttermost peril.' The camels are to be daily grazed in the 

 park, but brought back at night, with all possible precautions to 

 screen them from the public gaze. ' In the blessed graciousness 

 of his Majesty's disposition,' 1501. was to be presented to 

 Francisco Eomano, who brought them over, though the meagre 

 treasury was hardly able to yield up that sum, and her Majesty's 

 visit ' to Bath ' must be put off to a more convenient season, for 

 want of money to bear her charges. Then Sir Eichard "Weston 

 was commissioned by Mr. Secretary Conway, to estimate the 

 annual cost of maintaining the royal quadruped, his master 

 having decided to take the business into his own hands. He sug- 

 gested economy, but does not seem to have succeeded, for the state- 

 papers for August, 1623, furnish the following ' breefe noate what 

 the chardges of the elephant and his keepers are in the yeare : — 



ifeeding for the elephant at 10s. per diem is per an. ^180 

 To the 2 Spaniards that keep him XXs. per week . 52 

 To the 2 Englishmen, his keepers, XVIs. per week 41 



Sum per aun. in toto . . . .£275 12 5" 



Such is the gross amount, according to the manuscript, but it 

 evidently contains a clerical or copier's error. These items, 

 however, do not represent the total outlay on this animal, for the 

 manuscript adds, ' his keepers aflBrme that from the month of 

 September until April, he must drink (not water) but wyne — and 

 from April unto September, he must have a gallon of wyne the 

 daye.' 



This elephant had therefore no reason to regret the destiny 

 that made him the property of King James I. 



The value of an elephant varies considerably. " Scarcely any 

 limit," says Mr. Sanderson, " can be placed on the price of a 

 really perfect hoomeriah (thorough-bred) ; 2000Z. is not an un- 

 known figure. Tuskers of any pretensions at all command from 

 800Z. to 16001. The price of good females of the working class 

 is from 200Z. to 300L" The elephant that was used by the Duke 

 of Edinburgh in his shooting trip was purchased for the purpose 

 by Sir Jung Bahadoor for 1800Z., but in this case the animal was 

 a noted one and famous as a hunter. 



X 2 



