AN ELEPHANT SUPPRRESSING A MUTINY.

Southland Times, Issue 1043, 23 October 1868, Page 3

AN ELEPHANT SUPPRRESSING A MUTINY.

A few days ago, a very fine specimen of the Asiatic elephant (Elephas Indicus) '. was safely lauded, at Southampton, and purchased by Mr A. Faifgrieve, the acting proprietor of the Queen's Menagerie (Wornb well's Royal No. 1). The aniraa! is an exceedingly fine one, standing 6ver 6 feet in' height, with splendid tusks. It is of the male sex, and between 1 three and four years of age. It was sTripped at Bombay, and was under the charge of a Sumafcrian named Rames Jhandeeggar (familiarly known on board by the term " JRamy") to whom the elephant was particularly attached, and who had brought the huge brute under perfect subjection. During the last few days after the ship had cleared the land everything went on perfectly satisfactory, but, unfortunately; heavy weather coming on, a spirit of insubordination was displayed by several of the crew. The ; would-be mutineers assembled together one evening, near the wheel-house on the main deck, close to where the elephant was chained, and held council as to their future proceedings. The keeper, Ramy, lying at the side of the animal, feigned asleep, although he paid attention to what the disaffected spirits were saying. He heard the whole details. of a most diabolical plot to murder the captain, and a greater portion of the crew and passengers, and he ascertained that he (Ramy) was one of the selected ones who were thus appointed to be ruthlessly massacred. The onslaught was to be made when the watch was changed that night. No time was to be lost in warning the captain of the danger, but it was utterly impossible for Ramy to proceed to the state cabin without incurring the greatest possible risk, inasmuch as he would have been compelled to pass through the midst of the plotting rascals,, and they would certainly ■ not have scrupled in effectually silencing on the spot one whom they had themselves selected for slaughter. The wily keeper, I however, took a wiser course, and, as it j eventually turned out, a very serviceable one. Noiselessly unfastening the chain which bound the elephant's fore legs, Ramy set the animal at liberty, and, springing ;to his feet in an instant, he bounded into the midst of the mutineers, followed by the elephant. Giving a signal to the intelligent brute, it laid about it right and left with its trunk, and the astonished sailors were quickly prostrated on the deck, wounded and bleeding, and shouting loudly for mercy. The captain,' hearing the disturbance, was soon on the spot, and having been made acquainted with the facts of the case, caused the mutineers to be placed in irons, to be dealt with at the first port at which they touched. The wounds caused by the animal's trunk were somewhat fearful. In addition to the fact detailed above, the elephant gave many proofs on the voyage of his intelligence and sagacity. On one occasion, during a heavy gale of wind, he saved a man from a watery grave by seizing him by his jacket just as he was slipping from off the bulwarks ; and on another he prevented the first mate of the vessel from being severely bitten by a ferocious mastiff belonging to one of the passengers. The brute was flying at the throat of the man, when his spring was interrupted by the elephant, which, taking firm hold of the dog with his trunk, hurled him over the side of the ship into the ocean. Many other instances of the animal's sagacity might be recorded, but what we have named are quite sufficient to awaken a great curiosity to witness the hero of so many adventures. — ' Britol Times.' ;