Finally, George Wombwell junior and his new elephant sailed up the Thames river and into London. For what ensued next, George firmly blamed the Captain of the 'Esther'.
On arriving at St. Brides Wharf, the Captain said the tide was too low to land “Peto” but during my absence of two hours, he tried to do so. (He) had got the cage about 8ft from the deck when the chain broke. The cage fell and broke through the deck and skylights. Nearly standing on end, “Peto” was standing as well as he could on his hind legs and partly kneeling on his front to try and make himself level. – A fresh chain was got which also broke – but by the aid if two other cranes – “Peto” was at last landed.
Leaving behind one wrecked steamer and one fuming captain, George Wombwell junior, without so much as a backwards glance, moved into the next phase of his operation no doubt still bemused as to why Peto the Elephant was proving to be so persistently bad-tempered.
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| Page 2 of the Peto the Elephant Saga. |
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