INDIAN WAR ELEPHANTS. 207 



amined the massaulla, and found the ingredients of 

 the best quality. At length the cheat was discover- 

 ed;, and shows the extraordinary influence the keep- 

 ers had obtained over these docile animals. They 

 taught them^ in the inspectors' presence, to receive 

 the balls, and to put them into their mouths with 

 their trunk, but to abstain from eating them : and 

 these tractable creatures actually had that command 

 over themselves, that they received this food, of 

 which they are so remarkably fond, and placed it in 

 their mouths, but never chewed it ; and the balls 

 remained untouched until the inspectors withdrew ; 

 they then took them out carefully with their trunks, 

 and presented them to the keepers, accepting such a 

 share only as they were pleased to allow them. 



This story was related to me by that cousin of 

 Lord Ormond's, who lately returned from the East 

 Indies, where he has resided many years. His name 

 is Hervey : he is a man of an agreeable person, 

 engaging manners, and great observation. From him 

 I have collected several anecdotes of animal biogra- 

 phy, that will entertain you when I have leisure to 

 repeat them. He is a frequent visitor at Belvoir 

 Lodge, and I am mistaken if, in spite of Charlotte's 

 ambition, he has not made an impression on her 

 heart that it will be difficult for her to efface. It 

 will be a happy circumstance if this attachment has 



