ELEPHANT EMOTIONS. 391 



a howdah on the elephant's back, should pass over a bridge in 

 the centre of a numerous group of followers, it was thought 

 expedient that the unwieldy monster's tractability should be 

 tested. On stepping up to the bridge, which was slight and 

 temporary, the sagacious brute drew back his fore-feet and 

 refused to budge. It is well known as a fact in natural history 

 that the elephant, aware of his unusual bulk, will never trust 

 its weight on any object which is unequal to its support. The 

 stage-manager, seeing how resolutely the animal resisted every 

 attempt made to compel or induce it to go over the bridge in 

 question, proposed that they should stay proceedings till next 

 day, when he might be in a better mood. It was during the 

 repetition of the experiment that my father, having heard the 

 extraordinary sounds, determined to go upon the stage, and see 

 if he could ascertain the cause of them. The first sight that met 

 his eyes kindled his indignation. There stood the high animal, 

 with downcast eyes and flapping ears, meekly submitting to 

 blow after blow from a sharp iron goad, which his keeper was 

 driving ferociously into the fleshy part of his neck, at the root 

 of the ear. The floor on which he stood was converted into a 

 pool of blood. One of the proprietors, impatient at what he 

 regarded as senseless obstinacy, kept urging the driver 1o pro- 

 ceed to still severer extremities, when Charles Young, who waa 

 a great lover of animals, expostulated with him, went up to the 

 poor patient sufferer, and patted and caressed him ; and when 

 the driver was about to wield his instrument again, with even 

 still more vigour, he caught him by the wrist as in a vice, and 

 stayed his hand from further violence. While an angry alterca- 

 tion was going on between Young and the man of colour, who 

 was the driver, Captain Hay, of the Ashel, who had brought 

 over ' Chuny ' in his ship, and had petted him greatly on the 

 voyage, came in and begged to know what was the matter. 

 Before a word of explanation could be given, the much-wronged 

 creature spoke for himself; for, as soon as he perceived the 

 entrance of his patron, he waddled up to him, and, with a 

 look of gentle appeal, caught hold of his hand with his pro- 

 boscis, plunged it into his bleeding wound, and then thrust it 

 before his eyes. The gesture seemed to say, as plainly as if it 

 had been enforced by speech, ' Sae how these cruel men treat 

 Chuny. Can you approve of it 1 ' The hearts of the hardest 

 present were sensibly touched by what they saw, and among 

 them that of the gentleman who had been so energetic in 

 promoting its harsh treatment. It was under a far better im- 

 pulse that he ran out into the street, purchased a few apples at 



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