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. 
“ J umbo ” 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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