ELEPHANT LIFE IN ENGLAND 153 
barricade. Jim on his part took a long drink out of 
a small slate water-tank which stood near, and having 
refreshed the inner elephant with food and drink, 
surveyed the situation at his leisure. Seeing no other 
way out of the yard than that by which he had 
entered, he walked up, and with his head upset the 
van, and brushing past the garrison and through the 
crowd outside the gates, resumed his rambles in the 
streets. When captured, it was long past seven 
o’clock, and the animal was then well beyond the 
river Lea. No one was hurt by the elephant, and 
beyond the wanton destruction of a small shed 
belonging to a fishmonger, which it mischievously 
broke into pieces the size of barrel staves, and an 
unfortunate rush through five garden walls in a rather 
awkward place in Highbury Terrace, it did little harm 
to property. Next day it was seen by the writer, 
apparently none the worse for its adventures, though 
a violent scolding administered by the keeper’s wife 
caused it obvious uneasiness. It could hardly swallow 
the hay which it was eating, but taking it from its 
mouth, rubbed its knees with it, turning its head 
away, and exhibiting signs of the utmost penitence 
and confusion. 
African elephants are now very scarce in this 
country. This is due partly to the total blockade by 
the Dervish power at Khartoum of the ancient trade- 
route down the river. At present there are only seven 
left in Europe ; of these one is in the London Zoo- 
logical Gardens, one at Manchester, and one in 
