36 SCRIPTURE NATURAL HISTORY. 



not less remarkable for its size than its docility and understanding. 

 All historians concur in giving it the character of the most sagacious 

 animal next to man ; and yet, were we to take our idea of its capa- 

 city from its outward appearance, we should be led to conceive very 

 meanly of its abilities. At first view it presents the spectator with 

 an enormous mass of flesh, that seems scarcely animated. Its huge 

 body, covered with a callous hide, without hair; its large missha- 

 pen legs, that seem scarcely formed for motion ; its little eyes, large 

 ears, and long trunk, all give it an air of extreme stupidity. But 

 our prejudices will soon subside when we come to examine its his- 

 tory ; they will even serve to increase our surprise, when we con- 

 sider the various advantages it derives from so clumsy a conforma- 

 tion. 



The elephant is seen from seven to fifteen feet high. Whatever 

 care we take to imagine a large animal beforehand, yet the first 

 sight of this huge creature never fails to strike us with astonishment, 

 and in some measure to exceed our idea. Having been used to 

 smaller animals, we have scarcely any conception of its magnitude; 

 for a moving column of flesh, fourteen feet high, is an object so 

 utterly different from those we are constantly presented with, that 

 to be conceived it must be actually seen. It would, therefore, be 

 impossible to give an idea of this animal's figure by a description ; 

 which, even assisted by the art of the engraver, will but confusedly 

 represent the original. In general it may be observed, that the fore- 

 thead is high and rising, the ears very large and dependent, the eyes 

 extremely small, the proboscis, or trunk, long, the body round and 

 dull, the back rising in an arch, and the whole animal short in pro- 

 portion to its height. The feet are round at the bottom ; on each 

 foot there are five flat horny risings, which seem to be the extremi- 

 ties of the toes, but do not appear outwardly. The hide is without 

 hair, full of scratches and seal's, which it receives in its passage 

 through thick woods and thorny places. At the end of the tail there 

 is a tuft of hair, a foot and a half long. 



Of all quadrupeds, the elephant is the strongest, as well as the 

 largest ; and yet, in a state of nature, it is neither fierce nor formida- 

 ble. Mild, peaceful, and brave, it never abuses its power or its 

 strength, and only uses its force for its own protection, or that of its 

 community. In its native deserts the elephant is seldom seen alone, 

 but appears to be a social friendly creature. The oldest of the com- 

 pany conducts the band: that which is next in seniority brings up 

 the rear. The young, the weak, and the sickly, fall into the centre ; 

 while the females carry their young, and keep them from falling by 

 means of their trunks. They maintain this orderonly in dangerous 

 marches, or when they desire to feed in cultivated grounds : they 

 move with less precaution in the forest and solitudes, but without 

 ever separating or removing so far asunder as to be incapable of 

 lendiag each other any requisite assistance. It now and then hap- 

 pens, that one or two is found lingering behind the rest, and it is 

 Against these that the art and force of the hunters are united ; but an 

 attempt to molest the whole body would certainly be fatal. They 



