A Curious Elephant Story.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 270, 6 June 1888, Page 6

A Curious Elephant Story.

Tin following letter iiom a planter in C'oylon mentions an cxtiaoidinary incident. — the renunal ot I lie body ot a dead cleplnnl by its comrades ot the herd : — ' I went after a hoi cl ot eight elephant", and came n}> with them about thrco p.m. After some stalking 1 got a chance at the one w Inch seemed the biggest o! the herd, and dropped it at the (ii>>t shot. It turned out to be a bin* cow elephant. About two hoiu-> aft ci wauls I had the tail and feet cut oil' and t.ikcu to the bungalow. Next morning I went to the spot to have a look at the elephant/ and iound her, or what remained ol her, nan t^f. After .looking aioiind, I saw that the hoid had been about dming tho ni«hb. and 1 soon discovered a track where they scorned to have reined in a body. L followed this up through thick bamboo jungle, and about live hundred yards fuitheron, I came upon the dead 010 pliant, lying in the bottom of a rocky stream. Judging from appearances, tho body of tho olephanl had been carried to tho top of tho bank, and from there rolled into the stream. From the tracks, it was quite evident that the body had not been rolled but carried to the bank, and it was plain that it had rolled through the mana-grass, which grouson tho sides, into theslicam. The jungle through which the body was brought to the sit earn was very heavy, with bamboos growing clo.so, and Iho track which the elephants made was several yards wide. Some sur\n iso was o\oressed at the circumstance by my neighbours till I showed them where the elephant had been shot and where its tail and feet had boon cut oil", and where the body lay in the stream, which proved conclusively that by somo means or other the body had got over tho intervening spaco in tho night.' It is dilliculfc to understand how elephants with their trunks and feet could raiso and support tho dead body of a comrade. However, they seem lo have managed to do it.

Ponsonby : "Aw, (Jus, where arc you going?" ])o Twhiiger : " Pray don't detain mo. L havo just been to a luncheon at Mrs Boncfiold's." Ponsonby : " Well ?' ! Do Twirliger: "And now lam lo get something to oat."