KIDD'S LONDON JOURNAL. 



53 



health of the mother, and the improvement of 

 her progeny from a full supply of nutriment. 

 How long a sow should be kept for breeding, 

 depends on eircumstanees ; generally speaking, 

 however, after three or four years the most fruit- 

 ful sows, exhausted in their productive energies, 

 evince a great falling off both in the number and 

 vigor of their young. There are, however, ex- 

 ceptions, and of these one is recorded by Gilbert 

 White, in Letter lxxv. 



"The natural term of a hog's life," he says, 

 "is little known, and the reason is plain — because 

 it is neither profitable nor convenient to keep that 

 turbulent animal to the full extent of its time; 

 however, my neighbor, a man of substance, who 

 had no occasion to study every little advantage 

 to a nicety, kept a half-bred bantam sow, Avho 

 Avas as thick as she was long, and whose belly 

 swept the ground, till she was advanced to her 

 twentieth year, at which period she showed some 

 symptoms of age by the decay of her teeth and 

 the decline of her fertility. 



" For about ten years this prolific mother pro- 

 duced two litters in a year, of about ten at a time, 

 and once above twenty at a litter; but as there 

 were nearly double the number of pigs to that of 

 teats, many died. From long experience in the 

 world, this female was grown very sagacious and 

 artful. At the age of about fifteen, her litters 

 began to be reduced to four or five; and such a 

 litter she exhibited when in her fatting pen. She 

 proved Avhen fat, good bacon, juicy and tender; 

 the rind or sward was remarkably thin. At a 

 moderate computation, she was allowed to have 

 been the fruitful parent of 300 pigs — a prodigious 

 instance of fecundity in so large a quadruped ; 

 she was killed in spring, 1775." Generally 

 speaking, it is most advantageous to allow the sow 

 to breed only two or three years, and her succes- 

 sors being ready, to fatten her off for the knife. 



We have seldom seen more ''tact" ex- 



hibited than in the construction of this book. 

 Not only has the author rendered it read- 

 able ; but by much research and pleasant 

 annotation he has given it an interest that will 

 cause it to be widely diffused. The pig is 

 an " unclean beast," we admit ; but "dressed" 

 as he is here, we are unwilling to say aught 

 that is evil of him. On the contrary, in the 

 circulation of this volume, which so ably sets 

 forth his just praises, we hope all our friends 

 will "go ^the whole hog." This will enable 

 them "to cut, and — come again ! " 



AKECDOTES OF THE ELEPHANT. 



In a recent number of Dickens' House- 

 hold Words, there is a long, interesting, and 

 graphic description of " The Art of Catch- 

 ing Elephants," in Ceylon. Although it will 

 no doubt have been read by admiring thou- 

 sands, still there are certain fragments of it 

 that are admirably adapted for finding " a 

 nook and corner" in a Treasury like ours ; 

 and we detach them, to gem our anecdotal 

 pages. The star will not be missed from 

 the firmament whence it has strayed. We 



should premise that a herd of Elephants 

 are approaching near to the spot where the 

 party who are about to capture them lie 

 concealed. Death- like silence prevails ; and 

 the heavy fall of the Elephants 1 huge feet 

 among the brushwood, announces that " they 

 come !" — 



At last, (says the narrator) there was no 

 mistake about it, they were close upon us. Our 

 anxiety and curiosity became intense. The tear- 

 ing and trampling amongst the jungle was 

 deafening. Giant bamboos and branches of trees 

 appeared to be snapped asunder by the on- 

 coming herd, like so many walking sticks — in 

 a way, in short, which made me tremble for the 

 strength of the Kraal, and of our own elevated 

 platform. 



But there was little time for reflection of any 

 kind. A shot or two was fired in the rear of the 

 advancing herd, followed by a trampling of the 

 leading elephant. The moon at that moment 

 began to peep over the distant range of low hills ; 

 and, by its faint light, I could distinguish the 

 low jungle bending and giving way on every side, 

 and amongst it sundry huge black forms rushing 

 about in savage disorder, like mountain masses 

 upheaved by some convulsion of nature. The 

 two decoys entered the inclosurc at a brisk but 

 steady trot, and stationed themselves under the 

 clump of trees, without any notice being taken 

 of them ; indeed, one of them nodded knowingly 

 to the Corale near him, as much as to say, " It's 

 all right, old fellow !" On came the wild ele- 

 phants at a thundering pace, tearing and bending, 

 and smashing everything before them ; trumpet- 

 ing and roaring at full pitch. In another 

 moment they were within the boundaries of 

 our fortress. 



Never shall I forget the wild, strange beauty 

 of that uproarious moment. The moon was now 

 shining sufficiently on the Kraal to light up the 

 more open parts of it ; away under the deep 

 shade on one side, could be seen a dense moving- 

 mass of living creatures; huge, misshapen, and 

 infuriated, trembling with rage and fatigue 

 Lighted chules were gleaming thickly, like fire- 

 flies, amidst the neighboring jungle. Felled trees 

 and rope barred up the narrow way, forming 

 one monster gate ; whilst busy groups of vil- 

 lagers, white wands in hand, moved to and fro, 

 and watched the furious herd. More lights were 

 brought to the front, and a blazing fire was 

 kindled outside the entrance, which whilst it 

 served to light up the. whole of the Kraal, de- 

 terred the savage strangers from attempting 

 anything in that direction. 



It was soon evident that the prisoners were 

 not going to take matters very quietly. Two of 

 the stoutest of their number slowly advanced 

 and examined the Avails, to see where an open- 

 ing might most easily be forced. And noAv Ave 

 were not less astonished than delighted at the 

 use made of those tiny Avhite Avands which had 

 before served only to raise our contempt. When- 

 ever the two elephant spies approached the 

 jungle-Avails of their prison, they Avere met by 

 one or tAvo villagers, avIio gently Avaved before 

 them little snow-white switches ; and, lo ! as 

 if by some spell of potent forest magic, the 



