Curiosities of natural history. 3rd series / by Frances T. Buckland.

  • Francis Trevelyan Buckland
Date:
1873
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Curiosities of natural history. 3rd series / by Frances T. Buckland. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    140/386 (page 118)
    “May, 1857. “ I observe that you have favoured the readers of the ‘ Field ’ of May 9 with an account of the slaughter of poor Chunie, the elephant, at Exeter Change. You say it is from Hone’s ‘ Every-day Book,’ but I think Hone does not give it quite correctly. ‘‘ As one of the perpetrators of that cruel deed, if you choose I will tell you what I saw done that day. “ I was at the gunmaker’s, Stevens of Holborn, when ]\Ir. Herring of the New-road came in to borrow rifles and beg Mr. Stevens to return with him to the ’Change to shoot the elephant. Mr. Stevens was a man in years and full of gout, and I knew directly what would hap- pen ; he pointed to me as one for his substitute, and in a very few minutes I had selected the rifles, cast balls, &c., and we were on the way to the Exeter ’Change. We arrived there and found the greatest confusion; beasts and birds most uproarious, set on by witnessing the struggle to keep in order the ungovernable elephant. The teething season was supposed to be on, but your description of the state of the tusks appears to settle that question. Mr. Cross was much vexed with his coming loss, an,d Mrs. Cross in tears. “ I was supposed in that day a steady rifle shot, and with Mr. Herring, in my conceit and ignorance, intended to kill the poor brute with our first fire. Dr. Brooks