Natural Hiflory cf tj}( Elephant. 251 



Icilled four, and wounded many others. Wheii tiie poor animals were thrown down, con- 

 fcious of their impending /ate, they roared moft pittoufly; but, notwithftanding their pro- 

 ftrate fituation, and fubmillive cries, hz unfeelingly and deliberately drove his tufks through, 

 and transfixed .them to the ground ; yet none of the large elephants, not even the dams of the 

 fufFcrers, came near to relieve them, or f.-emed to be fenfibly afFedled. This favage animal 

 had been then confined four days in the inclofure, along with the herd, upon a very fcanty 

 allowance of food, and could have but very little hope of efcaping; yet here his paflions were 

 ftronger than his fears. It was on account 0^ this favage difpofition, the hunters had alked 

 permiffion to fhoot him, before 1 had either feen him or the herd, and thence judged he was 

 a goondah^-y that had lately jqined. Having never before known any elephant killed wilfully, in 

 the keddah, by the larger males, and having no idea that he would commit fuch terrible 

 havock, I unluckily refufed to grant their requeft, being defirous to fave fo ftately an ele- 

 phant. When the palifade was finifhed, I got him tied, and led outj but, not brooking re- 

 .ftraint, he languiflied about forty days, after he was fecured, and then died. 



In thecourfe of this narrative, I have, in general, related only fuch particulars concerning 

 the elephant as caqie within my own knowledge, and which were either not known, or not 

 publifhed. Tp enter into. a particular hiftory of the elephant was not my intention; and, 

 although the procreation of tame elephants has been proved, yet the expence incurred by 

 breeding them, may deter others from making attempts of this kind. But it opens a 

 field of curious inquiry to the naturaliftsj and, now that the facility with which it may be 

 done is afcertained, it fuggefts itfeif as a mode by which the breed of elephants may be im- 

 proved, in fize, ftrength, and activity. In this way, any expence which might be in- 

 curred, would more than repay itfeif, in the future benefits to be derived from a fuperior 

 breed of elephants. 



* From this inftance, as well as many concurring circumftances, I am convinced that \he(e goondabs gene- 

 rally leave the herd of their own accord, and join it when they think proper, or are induced to it from a 

 female being in heat ; yet it has been lupi-oled, that they are driven from the herd, at an early period of life, 

 by their feniors. This appears improbable, as it is not often that very large males are taken with a herd 

 of elephants ; for, depending on their own ftrength, they ftray fingly, or in fmall parties, from the woods into 

 the plains, and even to the villages; and it is in thefe excurfions they are taken, by means of the trained 

 females. As thefe^oOTi/afo are much larger, and (Irong'-r, than the males generally taken with the herd, it 

 is not probable they would fubmit to be driven from it, unlefs at an early period, I have feldom feen, in 3 

 herd of elephants, a male fo large as we commonly meet with among two or xhrct goondahs i but,,if thefe laft 

 were driven from the hexd when young, the very reverfe would be obferved. 



On 



