142 IVORY AND THE ELEPHANT
and
even worshipped at Memphis, the death of one of these bulls being
immediately followed by the selection and installation of another in
its place, to which the divine spirit was believed to have transferred
its abode.
One
of the latest members of this Burmese dynasty of elephants, perhaps the
last member, was chosen about 1806, and was still living in 1856, when
Col. Henry Yule visited Ava, and was then seen by him in all the glory
of its gorgeous trappings, of which we have the following description:*
"The
headstall was of fine red cloth studded with rubies and diamonds; the
driving hook was of crystal tipped with gold, with a stem of pearls
banded with rubies; the harness was made of bands of gold and crimson
set with large bosses of pure gold; a golden plate inscribed with his
titles was worn on his forehead, and a gold crescent set with large
gems between the eyes. A minister of state waited on him and shoes were
removed on going into his royal presence. A territory was assigned for
his support."
The
first Burmese war necessitated the withdrawal of the elephant's
subsidy, which had to be used for military expenses, but the king
sought to avert the wrath this might have aroused in the heart of the
royal beast by personally laying before it a petition craving pardon
for the unavoidable offence, and promising full restitution as soon as
possible. For better protection the elephant was removed to Manda-lay,
and is said to have died there on the day after the British forces took
possession of that city. This must have strengthened the conviction of
the Burmese of the exceptional character of this chosen and
consecrated elephant, as it proved that the animal could not survive
the downfall of the native rule in Burma.
The Koran makes mention of the elephant, and, indeed,
*Mrs. Ernest Hart, "Picturesque Burma, Past and Present," London & Philadelphia, 1897, p. 167.
Flickr
Stumbleupon
Scribd
