A hundred years ago
Mr Sclater, the Secretary to the London Zoological Society, in a letter written to the Times, makes a suggestion which, if successfully acted upon, will greatly reduce the labour and expense of African exploration. Hitherto it has been assumed that the African elephant could not be employed as a beast of burden, on account of its ferocity of nature, and was "only good to supply ivory, and to afford a mark for the sportsman's bullet." No one is better qualified by experience to refute this assumption than Mr Sclater, and he points to the African elephants at the 'Zoo,' which walk about the gardens loaded like the outside of an omnibus in summer, as showing that this species has as tamable and gentle a nature as its Indian cousin. The practical suggestion which Mr Selater makes is that some elephant-catchers, with a few selected elephants, should be brought over from India to Zanzibar, 'the best basis for the exploration of the lake region of Africa,' and having a mainland opposite where elephants are abundant. Stanley started on his last exploring journey with not less than 400 bearers, and all African explorers find the greatest difficulty in their path to be that connected with transport. The elephant also would be invaluable in crossing swamps and morasses, such as abound in the interior of Africa.
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