THE ELEPHANT. 19 



friendly. In his native retreats he never appears but in 

 troops of his own species, and a consciousness of supe- 

 rior power renders him altogether a stranger to fear. 

 He is courageous, but not fierce ; and strong, without 

 being terrible. He unites in himself all the address 

 and sagacity so conspicuous in the dog and the ape ; 

 with, at the same time, the sociability of the beaver. 

 In the neighbourhood of deep forests, in Africa and 

 Asia, large troops of these animals are frequently seen ; 

 and the injury they commit in the plantations is some- 

 times very great, treading down, with their immense 

 feet, infinitely more than they devour. They feed 

 on vegetables, grain, and the tender branches of trees 

 and shrubs. In the neighbourhood of the Cape of Good 

 Hope, they are hunted and killed for the sake of their 

 teeth. These are brought into Europe in great quanti- 

 ties, and, when cut up for the purpose of being 

 manufactured, have the name of ivory. Elephants 

 when hunted, endeavour, with care, to avoid muddy 

 and morassy places, lest they should stick fast in the 

 ooze; but they are able to swim with great ease, over 

 even the largest and most rapid rivers. These hunting 

 excursions are sometimes attended with danger, as the 

 following anecdote, affording a dreadful lesson to huma- 

 nity, will show. Three Dutchmen, brothers, who had 

 made large fortunes by this savage business, determined 

 to retire to Europe, and enjoy the fruits of their 

 labour, but resolved, before their departure, to have a 

 last chase, by way of amusement. They soon met 

 with their game, and commenced their attack ; but, one 

 of their horses falling, the rider was flung to the ground. 

 The enraged Elephant instantly seized the unhappy 

 huntsman with his trunk, flung him up into the air; 

 then, turning towards the other two, as it were with 



