Natural Hijiory of the Elephant. 



249 



I have veryi)ften obfervcd this; and fo fenfible are the attendants of it, that, with them, 

 it is a common piadice to raife a fmall mound of earth, about fix or eight inches high, for 

 the young one to ftand on, and thus fave the mother the trouble of bending her body every 

 time {he gives fuck, which fhe cannot readily do when tied to her picket. 



Tame elephants are never fuffered to rertiain loofe ; as inftances occur of the mother leav- 

 ino- even her young, and efcaping into the woods. 



Another circumftance deferves notice : if a wild elephant happens to be feparated from her 

 young, for only two days, though giving fuck, fhe never afterwards recognizes or acknow- 

 ledges it. This feparation (bmeiimes happened unavoidably, when they were enticed fepa- 

 rately into the outlet of the keddah. I have been much mortified at luch unnatural con- 

 duit in the mother ; particularly when it was evident the young elephant knew its dam, and, 

 by its plaintive cries 4nd fubmiflive approaches, folicited her affiftance. 



Here it may be obferved, that a female was believed to have gone twenty- one months and 

 three days; being fuppofed to have been covered on the 13th of January, 1788, fome days 

 before fhe was driven into the inclofure. When I made particular inquiry as to the real 

 time fhe was taken, the fuperintendant *of the hunters faid it was in: January ; but the principal 

 huoters f declared fhe was among the herd taken in February following, and was pro- 

 bably the fame elephant Mr. Buller, Captain Hawkins, and many others, faw covered on 

 the 9th and loth of that month. Perhaps, fome days prior to this, fhe might have been co- 

 vered in the woods, before fhe was brought into the inclofure; but as a herd was taken in each 

 of thofe months, and not kept feparate, and two years had nearly elapfed before Ithoughtof 

 making any inquiry, it was impofTible for me to determine in which of thofe months fhe was 

 really taken; and the only motive I then had for endeavouring to afcertain this point, was to 

 form fome probable conjtdtyre as to the period of an elephant's geflation, which has now 

 been afcertained, in the inftance before related^ 



Early in September, 1795, the female that had been covered, and had been bred under my 

 own obrervation,waa. known to be in heat; this waslefs than fix months after bringing forth. 

 Learning, at the fame time, that the Rajah of Cudwah, a principal Zemindar of the province, 

 had a very large male that had been in the family near twenty years, from the time he was 

 about five years old, 1 fent a meffenger, requefting the elephant might be fent to Comillah, 

 which requeft the Rajah immediately complied with. 



To prevent any interruption from the number of fpeclators, the elephants were put into 

 a. fmall inclofure, on the 17th of September; the female was picketed by one leg, and the 

 young one, to which fhe was giving fuck, was tied to a tree at fome diftancc, fearing if per- 

 mitted to run about, he might receive fome injury^ 



After afewcarefi'es from the female, the male at length' efFcdedhis purpofe, and covered 

 her twice the fame evening, As the intention of the male elephant's vifit was known in 

 *e di(lri<a, and a few days had elapfed fince the two elephants were brought together, ia 



The Dmogah, 



■}■ The Dydars.- 



•rder 



