A WILD BEAST PROCESSION.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 331, 16 May 1877, Page 4

A WILD BEAST PROCESSION.

It will be remembered that Cooper and Bailey's first proposal to parade the streets of Sydney was opposed on account of the presumed danger of such a proceeding. On their return visit to Sydney, however, for some reason or another this apparent danger vanished, and the parade was permitted. A Sydney exchange, recording the event, says:—"lt is seldom that such emotions of surprise, pleasure, and admiration are excited as were yesterday morning caused by the monster parade through some of the principal streets of Messrs. Cooper and Bailey's collection of wild beasts, horses, elephants, camels, dromedaries, monkeys, &c. People turned out in hundreds to witness the singular procession, women and children largely predominating. Two or three hundred (mostly children) came down in the morning trains in excess of the ordinary number of passengers to witness the pageantry, and long before the advertised hour of starting the precincts of the circus in the Haymarket were surrounded by an immense concourse of sightseers. Punctually at the advertised time the procession moved. It was headed by two mounted policemen and carriages containing the proprietors of the menagerie—Messrs. Cooper and Bailey. Next came a tastefully ornamented van, drawn by ten horses richly caparisoned, and a band of sixteen performers, dressed in black suits, with epaulettes and busbies. Then came two ladies on horseback, richly dressed in black velvet, with red sashes and gold trimmings ; then a man drawn by four horses, with the lion Leo and his tamer and trainer in full costume on top of the van ; and following these were three vans, each drawn by three horses, with the elephants 'Our Queen' and 'Prince,' two of the largest in the show, in their wake. After these was the largest elephant in the menagerie, drawing a monster car, on the top of which were a couple of juvenile elephants in charge of their trainers and keeper. Twelve horsemen, gorgeously caparisoned, followed on beautiful steeds, and alter these was a van drawn by four horses, with tigers on the top of the vehicle, in charge of trainers, who every now and then administered a smart cut with a whip to the beasts when they became restless. Some more vans followed, and four camels, also the empty cage of the dead giraffe ; following which was another procession of horsemen in brilliant costumes, then a number of tigers, lions, leopards, panthers, and other animals. A van containing a panther, some monkeys on horseback, which some larrikin boys, who would insist on throwing stones at, anu otherwise tormenting; a dog on horseback, a boy clown on a Shetland pony, &c. In the rear of all this was the steam organ, which now and then discoursed loud and most unearthly, but withal, comical music, much to the delight of the youngsters that followed. The affair passed off satisfactorily, without mishap of any kind, and along the route people watched the procession from balconies and other good points of observation with great interest."