An Aged Elephant.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume X, Issue 3377, 4 December 1889, Page 2

An Aged Elephant.

ThofJeylon papers;announce the death of an elephant named Sella; which had served tho Public Works Department for over sixty-five' years, and had worked m various parts of the. island, under different circumstances, lor an unknown period. Originally Sella.belonged to the last of the kings of Kandy, and was one of about one hundred elephants which passed to the British Government in 1815, when tho Island came under British rulo. It was supposed that Sella was fifteen years of ago at this time, but this was surmise. His two friends with wbicli ho usually worked, and which fejl to the Government at the same time, died twenty-five years ago. In 1880 it was decided to sell all the elephants belonging to the Public Works Department, and Stella was sold to a well-known resident of Colombo, M. de Soysa. The animal was a tusker, very docile, and worked steadily all his life. It aided the several operations for tho capturo of wild elephants, but became totally blind about three years ago. Notwithstanding this ho continued to work at the plough until within a short time of his death.