HAMLYN'S MENAGERIE MAGAZINE. 



55 



elephants. We had a good gallop back as soon 

 as we reached the open road, arriving at about 

 5 p.m. where we were anxiously awaited by Mrs. 

 Pretorius and a number of gentlemen attached 

 to the Smithsonian African Expedition from 

 Washington, D.C. Our adventures of the day 

 were duly related to the group of interested lis- 

 teners, and a gool cup of coffee with something 

 to eat satisfied the inner man, as we sure felt 

 hungry. 



I was a mass of rags and tatters causing no 

 little amusement. The only thing I can think of 

 for this Bush is leather, and even that suffers, 

 as the Major's riding breeches indicated. 



The boys with the baby returned about 8 

 p.m., when it was fed on milk and rice, soon 

 making friends with everyone present. 



Taking our seats around the ever welcome 

 camp fire, more coffee was served while the Major 

 related some of his numerous adventures which 

 make the life of a hunter worth living. 



At 10 p.m. the party broke up to retire for 

 the night, to get a good sleep and rest, so as to 

 be prepared for the strenuous work of the follow- 

 ing dav. 



i here appears to have been two elephants, 

 both of which died shortly after capture. 



The Cape papers state that £12,000 is being 

 paid for their destruction. To my mind a fabu- 

 lous sum for a most unworthy purpose. 



"Hamlyn's Menagerie Magazine" was the 

 first paper in Great Britain to protest against 

 this wanton slaughter, and now the "Times" and 

 the " Field" follow suit. 



Mrs. F. E. Blaaw, writing to the "Field," 

 states : — 



"Sir, — Ever since I visited South Africa 

 in the spring of 1914 I have tried hard to 

 prevent the projected extermination of the 

 Addo Bush elephants. What is mentioned in 

 the "Field" of November 1 as the real cause 

 of the extermination that is now going on 

 agrees with the information I received when 

 in Port Elizabeth. The reason is greed of 

 the surrounding landowners, who have en- 

 croached on the Reserve and taken posses- 

 sion of the water supply of the elephants. 

 They say that the elephants are dangerous, 

 and have killed a man. This is quite true, 

 but the reason of their being dangerous is 

 that they are continually being shot at, and 

 the man who was killed met his fate whilst 

 out to kill an elephant. It served him right ! 



"Can, even now, nothing be done to 

 save the last remnant of the herd? 



" I am told that it is proposed to catch 

 the young animals alive and to transfer them 

 to the Knysna. I am afraid that this so- 

 called humane measure will have not the 

 slightest result to save the animals. 



"What will the young helpless creatures 

 do in a strange place deprived of their dams 

 and of the milk they want? 



"They will surely either die or wander 

 away and be killed. 



"The Kynsna contained wild elephants 

 at one time, and they were supposed to' be 

 protected there, but in 1914 the warden of 

 the Reserve informed me that not a single 

 elephant was left ! 



"Surely there is land enough in South 

 Africa that the Addo Bush may be spared 

 to the elephants. 



F. E. BLAAW. 



"Gooilust, Holland." 



-®- 



WILD BEAST SHOWS IN PARIS. 



By E. J. Bell. 



After five years of war Paris is en fete again, 

 and the laughter-loving Parisiene can once more 

 enjoy his Fair and Carnival. 



Here, on the Boulevard Richard Lenier, 

 stretching from the Place de la Republique to 

 the Place de la Bastelle, we find merry-go-rounds, 

 swings, and attractions too numerous to mention. 



The shows that have suffered most are the 

 Wild Beast Shows of Paris. In the good old 

 days, "avant la guerre," we had at least twenty 

 animal shows and menageries, but alas ! to-day 

 we could number them on one hand. 



Les Freres Ben Amar, with 3 lions, 2 brown 

 bears and one hyaena. 



Marcels Menagerie, with six lions, 2 brown 

 bears, 2 hyaenas, 2 monkeys, and last, but by 

 no means least, Frankie, with a fine troupe of 

 lions, well presented. 



All are doing fair business considering the 

 terrible inclemency of the weather just now. 



