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First elephant to arrive in America...
First elephant to arrive in America...
Item # 694546
April 16, 1796
THE DIARY, New York, April 16, 1796
* First elephant comes to America
* Captain Jacob Crowninshield
The most notable content would be the page 3 report of the very first elephant to arrive in America, which was on board the ship America.
The report reads: "The America has brought him an ELEPHANT from Bengal, in perfect health. It is the first ever seen in America, and a very great curiosity. It is a female, two years old, and of the species that grow to an enormous size. This animal is sold for Ten Thousand Dollars, being supposed to be the greatest price ever given for an animal in Europe or America."
And page 4 has a small advertisement for it: "ELEPHANT - To be seen on Monday next, at the corner of Beaver street near the Government House. Price to grown sons, One Dollar. To Children, Half a Dollar."
This was called the Crowninshield Elephant, so called because the captain of the ship, The America, was Jacob Crowninshield (confirmed in a separate report in this issue).
Four pages, never bound nor trimmed, wear at the folds causes some separation, wear at the margins with some margin tears, archival repairs to two holes at the blank spine.
Category: The 1600's and 1700's
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