50 LECTURE IV. 



strength. It was urged and excited to continue 

 the trial, till the poor animal broke the chains 

 which attached it to the tree and ran away. 

 It was supposed that it had escaped into the 

 jungle, and would mix with the wild elephants. 

 But how differently did this noble and sensible 

 creature act ! Instead of returning to its native 

 wilds in the forest, it came back in about an 

 hour, accompanied by two other elephants, and 

 their united strength performed the task allotted 

 to the first elephant. Here was reason and a 

 power of communication in animals, which I 

 have referred to in former lectures. You may 

 doubt the accuracy of what I have stated, but 

 I can assure you that the fact may be strictly 

 relied on. 



Let me tell you an anecdote of a seal, one of 

 which was lately exhibited in Brighton ; and a 

 noble animal it was, and very obedient to its 

 keeper. A gentleman, living near the sea in a 

 remote part of Ireland, where the people are 

 very superstitious, had a seal so tame, so affec- 

 tionate, and so fond of its master, that it would 

 follow and caress him whenever he had an op- 

 portunity of doing so. It so happened that 

 there were two bad harvests in succession, and 



