A STRANGE CONVOY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 191, 22 December 1868, Page 3

A STRANGE CONVOY.

{From the Times.) Mr Frank Buckland, in Land and Water, gives, upon the authority of Mr Wm. Jamrach, son of the well-known animal dealer, the following account of one of the largest consignments of wild animals that ever arrived in Europe. A traveller, named M. Cassanova, went some ten months since to Kassala, in Upper Nubia, on the confines of Abyssinia, for the purpose of collecting live animals. He succeeded so well in his undertaking that he got together 32 elephants, 8 giraffes, 20 antelopes, 16 buffaloes, 2 specimens of the rhinoceros, 1 hippopotamus, 12 hyenas, 4 lions, 4 ostriches, 12 hornbills, two adjutants, 1 bustard, and a number of small birds. With this "little lot" he started across the desert for Suakim, on the Red

Sea, The elephants, giraffes, antelopes, and ostriches, walked the whole journey, with strapsjround theirnecks.some in towof camels; all the other beasts were carried in cages lashed to camels, M. Casanova having brought with bim iron bars, which were made into suitable cages on the spot, as the animals were brought in by the hunters. The staff for the portage of his collection was therefore very large ; it consisted of 300 Arabs, 95 camels, and 80 goats, the latter being required to supply milk for the hippopotamus and the two young rhinoceroses. He had also to carry a large supply of water for the other animals. He was six weeks on the march from Kassala to Suakim, and to add to his many cares, a poisonous fly bit him in the temple, causing him a wound that nearly blinded him. He arrived at Suakim with mo^t of his animals in good health, and transported them in a steamer to Sutrz ; he lost many animals during this voyage by the heat, and his stock of elephants was reduced to 16; the two largest elephants, which were nearly fullgrown, and had tusks between three and four feet long, had got loose from the keepers while crossing the desert and escaped. Between Suez and Alexandria five young elephants were killed by accident. At Alexandria the beasts were put on board ship, the elephants, ostriches, &c, being hoisted on slings ; all this was done without any accident. Landing at Trieste, the elephants were driven through the Btreets to the station, the ostriches, antelope, &c, following the elephants wherever they went. A journey of three days and three nights, including stoppages, brought the precious cargo to Hamburg, and the muster-roll being called M. Cassanova found that his property suffered sadly by death and accident between Nubia and Hamburg. The following is a list of the survivors : — Eleven elephants, five giraffes, six antelopes, no buffaloes, one rhinoceros, no hippopotama, twelve hyenas, no lions, seven hornbills, two adjutants, and four ostriches. Mr Jararach has now two : elephants and a giraffe. By far the most , valuable of all the animals is the rhinoceros; it is one of the two-horned species {Rhinoceros Africanus). ' Though young, it is a fine healthy animal. It differs much from the Indian rhinoceros ; the" lower dip is pointed to such a degree that the German • .keeper remarked that "he looked like a youncj elephant that had had not grown his trunk." This animal lias not been seen in Europe alive since the time of the Romans. The price is £1000.