Page images
PDF
EPUB

instantly destroying the animal if he should break out into madness.

As Dr. Sclater, the Secretary, very forcibly remarks of the great establishment possessed by Messrs. Barnum, Bailey, and Hutchinson: "In so large an establishment, any animal under temporary excitement can be withdrawn from exhibition and placed in seclusion, which there are no adequate means of doing in the Zoological Gardens."

Several correspondents stigmatized this "excuse," as they were pleased to call it, as feeble and irrelevant. To my mind, it is simply convincing. Surely it must be kinder to Jumbo to place him among friends who can restrain him during the short and distinct intervals of excitement, and so enable him to enjoy a long life of petted luxury, than to destroy him in the first heyday of youth.

There is a stock argument very much in use by the advocates of total abstinence, to the effect that man is the only animal that will drink intoxicating liquors. It is a pity that they should employ such an argument, or rather, illustration, for most animals will indulge in stimulants when they can obtain them. In one of Charles Dickens's letters there is an amusing account of a Newfoundland dog that used to go to a public-house every morning, and have his pint of beer "drawed reglar, as if he was a brickmaker."

Wearied horses can be rendered capable of continuing their journey by the administration of a quart of ale. Cows have more than once been known to drink home-brewed ale that had been set outside the farmhouse to cool, and to play the most ludicrous antics in consequence of the indulgence.

The elephant is no exception to the rule, but is a most determined toper whenever he can find an opportunity.

A well-known writer and lecturer on total abstinence lately cited "Jumbo" as a proof that the largest and strongest quadruped in England was a teetotaler. Had he made himself acquainted with the habits of the animal, he would have found that "Jumbo," like all of his kind, is inordinately fond of any alcoholic liquid, preferring whiskey or any other liquor.

The Indian mahouts, when they have to teach their animals any new accomplishment, always reward them with arrack when they succeed, and the promise of a bottle of arrack will always induce an elephant to exert itself to the utmost.

The mode in which the animal drinks a bottle of beer, wine, or spirits is very curious.

The cork is half drawn, and the bottle handed to the elephant. The animal puts the bottle on the ground against a wall or tree trunk, holds it firmly with one of its fore feet, grasps the cork with the finger-like appendage at the end of the proboscis, and twists it out in a moment.

Then it takes the bottle by the mouth, and gradually tilts it up until all the contents have been transferred to the trunk. Then it gives the empty bottle to the keeper, puts the end of its trunk into its mouth, blows the whiskey down its throat, and holds out its trunk for another supply.

A rather ludicrous example of the fondness of the elephant for spirits was lately exhibited by two of Mr. Barnum's elephants.

They had taken cold, and had a fit of the shivers. A gallon or so of whiskey administered to each of them speedily set them right. Next morning they were quite well, but as soon as their keeper came in sight

they began to shiver violently, in hopes of obtaining another dose of whiskey.

Some years ago, an elephant, which belonged to a travelling company, was housed for a night in the stable of a hotel. Next morning the elephant was gone, and no one had heard or seen anything of him. That he should have been stolen was not likely, for the thief could make no use of him, and how so huge a beast could have concealed himself was a mystery. The country was scoured in vain all day; but in the evening, a servant, who had occasion to go to the wine-cellar of the hotel, there found the elephant very quietly reposing among the bottles. The animal had evidently been attracted by the scent of the wine, and with the soft, noiseless tread of its kind, had found its way up the great stairs of the hotel, through the hall, and so into the wine-cellar. Much of the interest excited by Jumbo is due to his enormous size.

We read in many books of travel that elephants are found from twelve to sixteen feet in height, while some writers have even ventured upon twenty feet.

Now an elephant of that height would be so enormous that the tallest giraffe ever known would need almost an additional yard of height in order to look over the elephant's shoulder.

In India, the elephants used for riding are on an average about eight feet in height, and may be compared to men of five feet six inches. Many are little more than six feet high, while an elephant of nine feet is considered a large one, and a nine or ten feet animal is about equivalent to a man of six feet two inches. Any animal that passes ten feet takes rank among giants. Every inch added to the height causes a proportionate increase of bulk, so that when Jumbo stands by the side of one of the Indian elephants, he looks like a dray horse compared to a Shetland pony.

Figures alone give but a poor idea of bulk.

In order to realize the gigantic dimensions of Jumbo, measure eleven feet in height on the side of a room, and then measure fourteen feet lengthwise; then picture to yourself an elephant of that height and length, and you will form some idea of the proportions of Jumbo. Perhaps even those proportions may be exceeded in time. He is yet but a lad, according to the duration of elephant life, and if he were to attain another six or seven inches in height, and gain another ton in weight, I should not be surprised.

For years Jumbo was an inmate of the Zoological Gardens, growing rapidly, and in course of time helping the keeper to amuse the younger visitors by carrying them on his back. Even their elders did not disdain a ride on so vast an animal, as I can vouch from personal experience. Still, except for his size, Jumbo created no particular interest, and the public cared no more for him than for the other elephants.

Then a report was bruited abroad that an American agent was negotiating for the purchase of Jumbo, and the public naturally thought that the Zoological Society would do itself harm by parting with the largest elephant that had ever been known in Europe.

(To be continued.)

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]
[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

Dictation. In a few minutes the engine will come puffing along, and the carriages will stop by the side of the platform. When the train arrives no time is lost. Some passengers get out and some get in.

STANDARD III. (BOYS).

(1) I bought a suit of clothes for £3 10s., hat 7s. 6d., boots 15s. 6d., scarf 3s. 6d., and had 4s. 6d. left. How much had I at first? Ans. £5 Is. (2) Divide one hundred and thirty-three thousand and fifty-six by one hundred and thirty-six.

Ans. 978-48. (3) I have 13 baskets of oranges, each basket containing 14 oranges. How mary are left after I sell 12 dozen ? Ans. 38. (4) Take one thousand and sixty-seven pounds seventeen shillings and fourpence farthing from thirteen thousand one hundred and seventy pounds ten shillings and eightpence.

Ans. 12,102 135. 3 d.

(5) Add nine shillings and sixpence, twenty-five pounds ten shillings and sixpence, seven thousand and eight pounds thirteen shillings and three farthings, ninety thousand and nine pounds four shillings and a penny halfpenny, seven hundred and ten pounds sixteen shillings and ninepence farthing, and three thousand and seventy pounds fifteen shillings and elevenpence three farthings.

Ans. 100,825 9s. 111d.

STANDARD IV. (BOYS).

(1) Divide nine thousand five hundred and fifteen pounds two shillings and ninepence by three hundred and eighteen. Ans. £29 18s. 5fd.-300. (2) How many grains are there in 3 lbs. 10 dwts. of Ans. 17,520. (3) Find the worth of 1000 square yds. of land at 35. 3 d. per yd. Ans. 165 12s. 6d. (4) A train takes 4 minutes exactly to go through a tunnel 2 miles long. How many feet is that in a

Sleeping, Window,
Nest, Strong, Wings, gold?
Hail, Morning.

minute?

Ans. 3300. (5) Take nineteen thousand and ninety from one hundred thousand nine hundred, and multiply the remainder by one thousand and ten.

Tongs,

[blocks in formation]

(1) Find by practice cost of 2 Is. 11d. per lb.

cwt. 1 qr. 21 lbs. at

Ans. 82,628,100.

STANDARD V. (BOYS).

29608
269

[blocks in formation]

Ans. £26 3s. 3d. cwt. be carried for

(2) How far would 1 ton 12 £20, if 2 tons 12 cwt. are carried 102 miles for the same money? Ans. 165 miles.

(3) A miller has working for him 15 men and 13 boys. Their wages, men and boys, amount to £25 IS. How much does a boy get, if a man gets £1 9s. 6d. ? Ans. 4s. 6d. (4) If a town clock loses 1 minute 45 seconds in 43 weeks 4 days, how much will it lose in a leap year? Ans. 2 minutes 6 seconds. (5) Bill:

300 buns at 3 a penny.

1 lb. seed loaf at 7 d. per lb.

3 cwt. plain bread at 1d. per lb.
120 lbs. bread at 2 d. per lb.
buns at 3d. each.
sponge

7 doz.

Ans. £4 12s. old.

STANDARD VI. (BOYS).

18

(1) A man saves £50 a year out of his income of £282 10s. How much will he spend in 298 days? Ans. 189 16s. 54d. (2) If 50 quires of paper weigh 106125 lbs., how many quires are there in '05 tons? Ans. 5276 796 + (3) Reduce and to decimals, and subtract the least from the greatest. Ans. '006. (4) If it takes 3 million bricks to build a viaduct, each brick weighing 63 lbs., what will be its total cost at £6 per ton? Ans. £55059 10s. 54d. (5) Find the difference between 3 of 1, and the ninth part of a dozen.

Domestic Economy.

(1) Write all you know about ventilation.

Ans.

(2) What rules should be observed in purchasing furniture for a small house?

(3) How would you clean

Parse (A)

(B)

(1) Articles of brass.

(2) Vessels used for holding milk.

Grammar and Parsing.

I come from haunts of coot and hern,

I make a sudden sally;

I sparkle out amongst the fern,

I hurry down the valley.

STANDARD VI.

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

Omissions and erasures in the Dictation Exercise will be counted as mistakes.

The words must not be divided between two lines; there is plenty of room for the passage to be written.

Write in large hand, as a specimen of penmanship, the words, Major Fitzgerald.

Write in small hand, as a specimen of penmanship, the

sentence

There is a willow grows aslant a brook

That shows his hoar leaves in the glassy stream.
Dictation.

Write the passage dictated to you by the Examiner, and punctuate it correctly.

[4. and B. were alternate passages.]
A.

They paddled onward hour after hour, sheltering themselves as best they could under the shadow of the southern bank; while on their right hand the full sun-glare lay upon the enormous wall of figs and laurels which formed the northern forest, broken by the slender shafts of bamboo tufts, and decked with a thousand gaudy parasites; bank upon bank of gorgeous bloom piled upward to the sky, till where its cutline cut the blue flowers and leaves, too lofty to be distinguished by the eye, formed a broken rainbow of all hues quivering in the ascending streams of azure mist, until they seemed to melt and mingle with the very heavens.

B.

As the sun rose higher and higher, a great stillness fell upon the forest. The jaguars and the monkeys had hidden themselves in the darkest depths of the wood; the very butterflies ceased their flitting over the tree-tops, and slept with outspread wings upon the glossy leaves, undistinguishable from the flowers around them. Now and then a parrot swung and screamed at them from an overhanging bough; or a thirsty monkey slid lazily to the surface of the stream, dipped up the water in his tiny hand, and started chattering back, as his eyes met those of some foul alligator, peering upward through the clear depths below.

Composition.

Write a letter on one of the following subjects:-(1), Gardening; (2), A storm at sea; (3), A day's angling; (4), Some public park.

(1)

Lesbury,

Northumberland,

July 8th, 1882. MY DEAR PROCTOR,-I have been spending a few weeks here with a relative. Far away from the bustle of the town, it seemed as if I should be utterly cut off from the usual enjoyments of life. Such was the case, but it meant only the substitution of other, though less excfting, pleasures, and among these not the least pleasant were some elementary lessons in gardening. Lesbury is admirably situated for carrying on this work. It stands on the southern slope of a gentle range of hills, which serve to protect it from the piercing winds of the N.E. coast. It is well wooded and watered, the soil is deep and loamy; and this combination of circumstances renders it eminently suitable for gardening purposes. Here are gardens of every size, from a square plot at the front of a labourer's cottage to large market gardens covering many acres.

This is the season when most of the hard work of the year is over. The gardener is now reaping the fruit of his toil in the earlier months of the year. Then he had the soil to turn over, the weeds to get rid of, and the plants and bushes to trim and supply with the necessary manure. As each month came, and the frosts disappeared, the seeds had to be sown, and care taken to protect the more tender shoots from the chilly night air. Now everything is bright and cheerful. The plots devoted to flowers are gay with roses, violets, geraniums, marigolds, daisies, and other flowers. The vegetables are covering the ground in rich profusion, while the bushes are laden with berries, and the trees give promise of a rich burden of fruit. Strawberries, currants, and gooseberries are being gathered, and as there has been little rain, water is being supplied to the thirsty flowers.

I have never seen such a wealth of fruit, and as for the odours they are as delicious as those of Araby.

The refining influence exerted by constant contact with delicate flowers is everywhere apparent, and this is certainly not the least of the benefits which a plot of ground used for this purpose confers on its possessor.

I shall heartily regret leaving the village, but more that in the crowded city I shall be unable to participate in this enjoyment, which has been at once new and delightful to me.

With kind regards, I am,
Ever yours truly,
JAMES DOUGLAS.

[blocks in formation]

MY DEAR BROTHER,-We have often spoken to each other of the different emotions caused by a view of the sea, but when I last saw you neither of us had experienced the feelings engendered by being in a storm at sea.

Since then, however, I have added to my former experience, and I know now how terrible a foe it can be. We were sailing across the North Sea from Hamburg to Berwick. The day was close and stifling, and gradually great black clouds spread them. selves over the sky. Everything about us seemed to presage a storm. Sudden gusts of wind passed across the ship's track, and orders were given to prepare for the approaching gale. The sea, hitherto smooth as glass, was soon covered with a strong lipper, and as the wind strengthened the motion of the ship became more and more uneven, and we had difficulty in moving about comfortably on the deck. Every moment seemed to increase the fury of the blast, and a pitiless storm broke over us.

The wind and the waves together seemed like storm fiends let loose to hurry us to destruction. One instant we seemed as if plunging headlong to the bottom, the waves breaking over the sides of the ship in great sheets, and the next it seemed as if the bow of the ship were about to pierce the clouds. The united strength of two men was required at the helm, and the captain and the man on the look-out peered into the gloom to catch sight of the lights which were to warn them off the rocks on this dangerous coast.

Notwithstanding all the efforts of the helmsmen, we had been driven southward, and the prospects of safely reaching the harbour became more and more gloomy. The roar of the wind among the sails and shrouds was deafening, and the waves, fearful of losing their prey, dashed over us and broke in fragments round about us in their baffled anger.

One of the happiest moments of our lives was when we heard that Longstone was in sight. With great skill the captain kept us from the strong currents running near the Farne Islands, and

[blocks in formation]

Dunkeld, Perthshire,

July 10th, 1882. DEAR BEN,-'Come and spend a week with me and have a day at the gentle craft,' was the burden of an invitation I had írom a fellow-teacher a short time ago. The prospect of a day on the banks of the Tay could not be resisted, and I gladly accepted the invitation. The great beauty of the neighbourhood was in itself sufficient attraction, but when the day for fishing dawned I looked anxiously forth lest wind and weather should spoil our sport.

I remembered the old couplets:

'When the wind blows from the north
Then the angler goes not forth;
When the wind blows from the east
Then the fishes bite the least.'

From neither quarter were we troubled. There was just a sufficiently strong west wind to ruffle the surface of the stream, and the sky was just as much overcast as to make it pleasant, and prevent strong shadows.

Provided with all needful apparatus we soon reached the river, and for a time were content to follow old Izaak Walton's recommendation, and fished diligently up the stream. By-and-by we grew a little weary of this, and sought out the most likely places, now and again throwing the line where the waters broke over a stone, a sure hiding-place for a trout, or again where the stream swept under the overhanging boughs of a tree, or into an eddying bay. By this means we succeeded in increasing the weight of our creels; but after luncheon we determined to crown the fortunes of the day by trying for higher game, and adding a lusty salmon to our store. It was not long before success attended my efforts. A sudden tug at my line sufficiently strong to stretch it to its utmost tension, and almost bend the rod double, told me that the bait had taken and the fish had darted away. I followed as best I could, giving the fish as much play as I could. Hope and fear alternated strangely in my breast-hope that I might land my prize, and fear lest my line should give way. Ever and anon I was wading deep in the river, then on the bank, now fast, now slow, the fish playing ten thousand pranks, till, gradually tiring him out, with a dexterous throw I landed him on the bank, a pleasing result of an arduous struggle.

I wish you had been with me to enjoy the sport, hoping that such another day is not far distant.

[blocks in formation]

MY DEAR SYRINA,-I do not think I have ever told you of the beautiful park in our town. You who live in London associate the district with nothing but coals and smoke, and chemical fumes, but I can assure you we have some spots of rare beauty here. Our park is one of them.

It is situated on the outskirts of the town, on the side of one the loveliest valleys in the northern counties. Below it runs the river Team, and on the opposite side of the valley stretch the extensive woods of Ravensworth Castle, belonging to the noble earl of that name. Opening up to the north-west is the broad valley of the Tyne, whose waters sparkle like a sea of gold in the rays of the setting sun.

Everything that art can do has been done to enhance the natural beauties of the place. A dene, with sides covered with huge trees, and through which runs a small stream, affords a cool retreat on the hottest of days, while scores of seats are temptingly placed under the spreading boughs of trees, and afford abundant facilities for quietly enjoying the scene.

A large lake in which disport numerous waterfowl, and whose surface is often covered with fleets of tiny craft; an aviary, stocked with rare and beautiful birds; a monkey-house whose inhabitants are a constant source of amusement to children of all ages; a bowling green, and a playground for children, are among the other attractions of the park.

A more beautiful place I do not think you could desire, and I do hope you will spend your holidays with me this year, and you

« PreviousContinue »