Museum of Wonders, or Curiosities of the World

A cabinet of curiosities in book form, 1890: monsters of the ancient world, wild animals, queer wanderers in the vasty deep, famous inventions and sublime scenery — assembled to astonish the young and, the preface admits, their elders too.

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Our Little German Band (OUNG friend did is shown)

OUNG friend, did is shown with a spectacled leader playing you ever visit a the organ, his assistants beating the bassmenagerie and see drum, ringing the bell, beating the cymthe wonderfully bals, and a number of heavy-built musitrained animals on cians, weighing at least a ton, tripping exhibition there? the light fantastic toe. These achieve- Two and three de- ments of the trainer's art must be seen to cades ago things be believed. Of course, there are many now considered more tricks performed by trained Elecommon and of every-day occurrence were phants not produced in these illustraconsidered extraordinary and wonderful, tions. and the training of animals in former years deserves no mention when we consider the wonderful achievements in that direction shown to-day.

The training of Elephants was, in this country, brought to the highest perfec- At a certain season of the year, these animals are seized with a ferocity which renders them intractable and formidable; but in their ordinary state, the most acute pains will not provoke them to injure those who have not offended them. A tion through the perseverance and skill female Elephant, rendered furious by the of Arstingstall and Adam Forepaugh, Jr., wounds she had received, at the battle of the latter of whom succeeded in having Hambour, ran about the field making the his Elephants perform in a quadrille, mili- most hideous cries. A soldier, notwithtary exercises, the forming of pyramids standing the alarm of his comrades, was and even appearing in the guise of a well- unable, perhaps, on account of his wounds, trained brass band. Old historians re- to fly. The Elephant approached, seemed port the wonderful tricks performed by afraid of trampling upon him, took him their trained animals, especially their up with her trunk, placed him gently on Elephants, but there never was mentioned his side, and continued her route. a band of pachyderms, such as our readers see in our illustration, or a group of Elephants posing in such attitudes as the other picture represents.

An incident, to which M. le Baron de Lauriston was witness, during one of the late wars in the East, forms another proof of the sensibility of the Elephant. This gentleman, from peculiar circumstances, It is indeed wonderful to behold these colossal animals obeying the command was induced to go to Laknaor, at a time or slightest gesture of their trainer. The when an epidemic distemper was making Little German Band of the illustration the greatest ravages amongst the inhabi

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