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HAMLYN'S MENAGERIE MAGAZINE. 



by the antelope and the fence was then quietly 

 built around them. These forty-two antelope 

 have increased since then to about ninety (go), 

 and as this reserve contains all vegetation and 

 saline deposits needed by the antelope, no cases 

 of actinomycosis or lump jaw or any other dis- 

 ease has so far appeared among them. 



(To be continued). 



When Liverpool Had a Zoo. 



This is a town of adventure and has bred 

 may mute inglorious Robinson Crusoes. One 

 adventurer belonging to Liverpool bore the 

 popular name of Thomas Atkins. He was born 

 in 1704 and died on the 6th June, 1848. 



Thomas Atkins was very successful in 

 collecting beasts and birds, and on the 27th of 

 May, 1833, he founded the Liverpool Zoological 

 Gardens in West Derby Road. They were 

 ten acres in extent, and very attractively laid 

 out. There was a nice little theatre capable 

 of holding about six hundred people, a dancing 

 platform, good bands, all sorts of beasts, wild 

 and tame, a great lake, and fireworks every 

 night. A mimic city of forts was built at the 

 back of the lake, and the evening's entertain- 

 ment finished with a representation of a battle. 

 Sometimes it was the siege of Acre, the taking 

 of the Regan, or the Siege of Delhi (writes 

 Historious in the " Liverpool Echo.") 



The Grand Centrifugel Railway was one 

 of the great attractions, for you travelled on it 

 at the rate of 100 miles an hour and looped the 

 loop on the journey. You ascended a staircase 

 in a tower about goft. in height and entered a 

 srrall car, alter which the attendant fastened 

 you in by placing an apron over you which 

 covered you from your chin to your feet. After 

 you were strapped in, the attendant sent the 

 car down a declined plane; then you ascended 

 the vertical circle, which was about 40ft in 

 circumference ; having gone round the wheel 

 and been upside down you speed on another 

 incline plane, and passing over a bridge 

 eventually came down quite gently to the 

 gardens. I think that the total length of the 

 railway would be abDut a 1,000ft. The fare 

 was 6d. The sensation was similar to the one 

 experienced in the "eighties" when you travelled 

 on the switchback railway. 



Sometimes an exhibition was given. First 

 a pail of water was placed in the car and the 



water was unspilt ; then a hundredweight of 

 metal was sent on a journey, and the weight 

 was unmoved. I must have seen hundreds of 

 human beings use it, and though they passed 

 round the upright circle, head over heels, 

 performing a complete somersault, they were 

 never injured. 



When the founder and proprietor passed 

 away, the gardens were owned by his widow 

 and two of the sons, John and E. Atkins. 

 They owned a fine elephant, " Rajah," 35 years 

 old, a great favourite and renowned for his 

 gentleness and courtesy when carrying passen- 

 gers. 



On the 17th of June, 1848, " Rajah " killed 

 his keeper, Richard Howard, with whom he 

 had always been very friendly. The keeper 

 was cleaning the stable, and wanted the ele- 

 phant to move, so he hit him with the broom. 

 " Rajah " did not move. Then the keeper hit 

 him a second time, whereupon he turned on 

 the keeper, knocked him down, trampled on 

 him, and broke every bone in his body. The 

 proprietors decided that " Rajah" must be put 

 to death, so they interviewed the mayor and 

 the stipendiary magistrate, and obtained their 

 advice and assistance. 



Dr. O'Donnell and some other medical 

 men endeavoured to administer poison, two 

 ounces of prussic acid and 25 grains of aconite, 

 mixed with treacle and served on a bun. 

 "Rajah" swallowed the lot, and though he 

 seemed uncomfortable he very soon recovered, 

 and walked about apparently quite well. Then 

 thirty riflemen — of the 60th Rifles — were 

 brought, and two field pieces. Twelve of the 

 soldiers fired, and still "Rajah" stood, then 

 twelve more soldiers fired, and he fell dead. 



The proprietors had the good taste to ex- 

 clude the public on this day of trouble. When 

 one remembers that they often had thirteen to 

 fourteen thousand visitors in a day the loss 

 must have been very great. 



Charles Blondin, the celebrated rope- 

 walker, performed many times in the gardens. 

 I saw him for the first time in 186 r, when 

 he was at the height of his fame, having 

 crossed Niagara Falls on a rope i,ioo feet long 

 and 160 feet above the water. He was very 

 wonderful, he carried a man on his back, 

 wheeled a barrow, walked on stilts, and even 

 went blind-folded. The last time I saw him 

 was in 1881 at Eastham Gardens, where he 

 walked on a low rope. He was born at St. 



