How the World Travels

								

Horses, bullocks, and donkeys are also ridden, but the most
imposing steed in India is the elephant, and very magnificent
these great animals look when they are carrying native rajahs or
taking part in some religious procession. On these occasions the
howdah, which is like a palanquin perched on the elephant's back,
is painted or covered with gold and silver, while the animal itself
is often gaily coloured and has his tusks decorated with jewels and
flowers.
Elephants, however, are not always decked in this fantastic
fashion, and often the howdah is a very simple affair rather like a
huge basket in appearance. Sometimes the mahout, as the keeper of
the elephant is called, sits on the animal's broad neck or rides on
a rough wooden saddle.
One of the most curious conveyances to be seen in India is a
travelling theatre, which consists of a large, railed platform
fastened across the backs of two elephants which walk side by side.
This strange moving stage figures in wedding processions and other
festivals, and during its passage through the streets of a town
dancing girls give performances on the platform, which is brightly
illuminated.
Elephants are strange animals and need to be very carefully
trained and kindly treated. There is a story that once in Ceylon a
newly-caught elephant, when required to draw a wagon, felt this to
be such an indignity that he lay down between the shafts and died!
Perhaps his relations in India are not quite so proud and
sensitive, for in that country we find them doing a great deal of
hard work. They move large logs of wood, carry heavy burdens, and
also drag cannon. At times, even, they may be seen taking the place
of steam-engines and drawing railway trucks along the line. In
fact, there is nothing in the way of hard and heavy work that the
elephant cannot do.

CHAPTER V
THE CONVEYANCES OF CHINA AND JAPAN

One is always accustomed to think of China as a strange,
topsy-turvy country, where everything is marvellous and unexpected,
so that it is no surprise to find there many queer conveyances and
modes of travel. Even in very early times China, or Tartary as it
was called then, was looked upon as a veritable wonderland, and
Marco Polo, who explored the country more than six hundred years
ago, gives us a very interesting description of how the Emperor
travelled when he went on one of his hunting expeditions. This is
what he says:
"The Khan upon his journey is borne upon four elephants, in a fine
parlour made of timber, lined inside with plates of beaten gold and
outside with lions' skins. Sometimes, as they go along, and the
Emperor from his chamber is discoursing with his nobles, one of the
latter will exclaim, 'Sire! Look out for cranes!' Then the Emperor
has the top of his chamber thrown back, and having seen the cranes,
he casts one of his falcons, and often the quarry is struck in his
sight, so that he himself has the most exquisite sport as he sits