THE ELEPHANT. 39 



ance of great skill and erudition.' It sometimes happens that the 

 object is too large for the trunk to grasp: in such a case the 

 elephant makes use of another expedient as admirable as any of 

 the former. It applies the extremity of the trunk to the surface of 

 the object, and, sucking up its breath, lifts, and sustains such a 

 weight as the air in that case is capable of keeping suspended. In 

 such manner this instrument is useful in most of the purposes of 

 life ; it is an organ of smelling, of touching, and of suction ; it not 

 only provides for the animal's necessities and comforts, but it also 

 serves for ornament and defence. 



But, though the elephant is thus admirably supplied by its trunk, 

 yet, with respect to the rest of its conformation, it is unwieldy and 

 helpless. The neck is so short that it can scarcely turn the head, 

 and must wheel round in order to discover an enemy from behind. 

 The hunters that attack it upon that quarter, generally thus escape 

 the effects of its indignation, and find time to renew their assaults 

 while the elephant is turning to face them, The legs are, indeed, 

 not so inflexible as the neck, yet they are very stiff, and bend not 

 without difficulty. Those before seem to be longer than the 

 hinder, but, upon being measured, are found to be something 

 shorter. The joints, by which they bend, are nearly in the middle, 

 like the knee of a man ; and the great bulk which they are to sup- 

 port makes their flexure ungainly. While the elephant is young, 

 it bends the legs to lie down or to rise ; but when it grows old, or 

 sickly, this is not performed without human assistance ; and it 

 becomes, consequently, so inconvenient, that the animal chooses 

 to sleep standing. The feet, upon which these massy columns are 

 supported, form a base scarcely broader than the legs they sustain. 

 They are divided into five toes, which are covered beneath the 

 skin, and none of which appear to the eye ; protuberances like 

 claws are only observed, which vary in number from three to 

 five. The apparent claws vary ; the internal toes are constantly 

 the same. The sole of the foot is furnished with a skin as thick 

 and hard as horn, which completely covers the whole of its under 

 part. 



To the rest of the elephant's incumbrances may be added its 

 enormous tusks, which are unserviceable for chewing, and are only 

 weapons of defence. These, as the animal grows old, become so 

 heavy that it is sometimes obliged to make holes in the walls of its 

 stall, to rest them in, and ease itself of the fatigue of their support. 

 It is well known to what an amazing size these tus.ks grow ; they 

 are two in number, proceeding from the upper jaw, and are some- 

 times found above six feet long. Some have supposed them to be 

 rather the horns than the teeth of the animal ; but, besides their 

 greater similitude to bone than to horn, they have been indisputa- 

 bly found to grow from the upper jaw.* 



* In 1 Kings x. 18, Ivory is designated great tooth, which clearly shows, says Mr. 

 Taylor, that the Hebrews imported it in the whole tusk. Ezekiel has used a phrase 

 Which more correctly describes the nature of these weapons of defence ; horns oftectk. 



