THE ELEPHANT OF AFRICA. 125 



The African Elephant inhabits that continent 

 from the Cape of Good Hope to the Niger, living 

 nearly in the same condition, and having much 

 the same manners as its allied species in the 

 Asiatic continent ; delighting even more in the 

 vicinity of water, and in the luxury of shade, so 

 tempting in those parched countries. They go 

 in herds, are equally watchful, defend their young 

 to the utmost extremity, and are fierce and re- 

 vengeful when wounded or attacked, venting their 

 rage and revenge by trampling and mangling their 

 victim till little vestige of him remains. They are, 

 however, nearly, if not entirely, extirpated from 

 the Cape colony, and one has to travel far into 

 the interior before being gratified by a view of 

 those stupendous animals, or indeed of any of the 

 larger game formerly so abundant, enjoying their 

 own forests. And we have reason to believe, 

 from recent accounts, that the late Caffer wars 

 have contributed farther to the extirpation of 

 many noble animals. 



Unlike the Indian animal, it scarcely has been 

 domesticated, and is not employed for any use- 

 ful labour, unless we include its employment 

 by the ancients in war, as there seems no 

 reason for doubting that the animals used by the 

 Carthaginians were of African origin. Since that 

 period, however, we have no trace of them being 

 used in a tame state, the large race of Bullocks 

 being 1 employed in South Africa, and the Hor 



