Pidcock’s Menage in the Strand

Vol. 1 (160-162)

May 30.—I stopped an hour at Pidcock’s Menage in the Strand. This is by far the most extensive and interesting collection of living animals that I have ever seen. It exceeds that in the Tower. But it is impossible for me, my dear brother, to give any thing like a complete description of the various collections and curiosities which every day brings to my notice. . . .

Among the large animals at Pidcock’s are two royal tigers from Bengal; a lion and a lioness; two large and fierce panthers from South America, beautifully spotted like the leopard; a hunting leopard or tiger from the East Indies, a small but beautiful animal which is used by the Asiatic princes in hunting; it is said that they carry them on the pommel of the saddle, from which they spring upon their prey, particularly the antelope. There were two hyenas, animals which no degree of kindness or familiarity with man can at all soften from their native ferocity; a nhyl-ghaw, a large animal resembling the elk in form, but having a head like that of a horse, except that it is crowned with horns.

The elephant held the first rank in size. This animal was nearly nine feet high, and looks more like a large rock than a living animal. It is wonderful with what ease he “wields his lithe proboscis.” It answers him all the purposes of a hand, and as Buffon remarks, he carries his nose in the same organ, and thus unites touch, smell and the power of grasping all in one member. Without it he certainly could not subsist. I threw a small key among the straw on the floor, when, by the direction of his keeper, he found it with his proboscis, and gave it to me. Being asked how many gentlemen there were in the room, he gave as many short breathings as corresponded to the number, and the same for the ladies; in the same manner he told the ages of two children that were present;--he bolted and unbolted doors, picked up my cane and gave it to me, took off the keeper’s hat and put it on, thrust his proboscis into my waistcoat pocket, and took out a piece of money that was there, &c. Well might Mr. Pope call him “half reasoning elephant.”

Among the smaller animals were several kangaroos; they have very short fore legs and very long hind ones, on which they stand erect, and one of them has been taught to box with his keeper, while in this attitude, and might have made a very tolerable pupil of Mendoza, with at least as much that was human about him.

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I must not omit to mention the little bull taken from the menagerie of Tippoo Saib, at Seringapatam. He is only 2 feet 7 inches high, and is kept in a garret, around which he runs like a cat.